Sumitra Mahajan precedent on MPs' resignation under study

New Delhi: Congress is trying to win over at least some of the MLAs who had gone to Bengaluru with Jyotiraditya Scindia, apart from a few BJP legislators as the Kamal Nath-Digvijaya Singh duo work overtime to rescue the state government from being toppled by the BJP leadership powered by the Centre.

As deft manoeuvres in managing the MP assembly floor turned crucial, a source said the Congress was likely to tap a precedent set by previous Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan of BJP. The institutional approach Mahajan followed as Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha while dealing with the resignation of MPs is being studied as a precedent as the MP Speaker gets ready to process 'resignations' of 20-odd 'rebel' Congress MLAs.

Speaker Mahajan personally verified and cross-checked the veracity of resignations that Lok Sabha MPs belonging to the YSRCP — Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, Midhun Reddy, YS Avinash Reddy, YV Subbha Reddy and VV Prasadarao — sent to her on March 15, 2018, before accepting them on June 6, 2018. The reason given for the two-and-a-half months delay was because she had to “strictly follow rules” to verify whether the resignations were in order and ascertain that the five had not quit “under duress” but “voluntarily”. Before she accepted the resignations, the five MPs held many rounds of personal meetings with Mahajan, seeking early acceptance of their resignations. A Congress source said Mahajan did not decide for months on another set of petitions by YSRCP for disqualifying MPs under the anti-defection law after they defected to TDP.


Even as BJP has demanded that MP assembly Speaker NP Prajapati accept resignations of 20-odd Congress MLAs, a source said, the Chair “is duty-bound to do all scrutiny and verification” of the resignations “as per rules and precedents”. The source also said since resignations of “19 Congress MLAs who are now in Bengaluru” were handed over “by a delegation of BJP leaders”, there were questions on “whether the resignations were forced by BJP”.

Suspense remains on the timing of the session and whether CM Kamal Nath would seek a trust vote. Amid reports that a section of “rebels” were “unwilling to join BJP”, sources said efforts were on to woo them back by promising them ministry berths, apart from tapping “unhappy BJP MLAs”. While 107 MLAs are being counted on BJP’s side, there are questions if they included two BJP MLAs who had earlier voted with the government on a bill. “Invisible friends” on either side may come into play, in the event of a close trust vote.