Trust Vote: Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs to leave Bengaluru for Bhopal in the evening

A big contingent of Madhya Pradesh MLAs will leave Bengaluru for Bhopal in the evening to take part in the trust vote moved by chief minister Kamal Nath. The vote of confidence is scheduled to come up on Monday, and is the first business to be taken up soon after the Governor's address.

There are 20-odd MLAs, most of whom are from the Congress, and some are independents. The exact number of MLAs camping in Bengaluru is not known. The BJP sources said they will be leaving the City by a special flight in the evening.

Karnataka BJP general secretary Aravind Limbavali is hosting the rebel Congress MLAs, and "protecting" from the ruling Congress's reach, BJP sources said.


They had originally planned to return on Friday, but chose to head back to the resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru from the airport without boarding special aircraft that were to take them to Bhopal.

Three aircraft were waiting at the airport to transport them as they were required to appear before the assembly speaker in Bhopal. However, they returned within 15 minutes of entering the airport.

The MLAs are camping at Prestige Golfshire at Devanahalli near the airport. The Congress members belonging to the Jyotiraditya Scindia camp had landed in Bengaluru six days ago by a special aircraft, in a show of rebellion against the Madhya Pradesh chief minister.

On Friday, a delegation led by Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar met additional DGP (law & order) Amar Kumar Pandey in Bengaluru, seeking police help for the father of a Congress MLA to meet his son who is allegedly “held” at the resort. Narayan Singh Choudhary, the MLA’s father, lodged a formal complaint with the police.

Choudhary said he, along with MP higher education minister Jeethu Patwari and another leader Balaram Chowdhary, came down from Bhopal to Bengaluru on Thursday to meet his son. Some people, he alleged, had forcibly lodged his son at the resort. "Though my son wanted to meet us, he was not allowed by some local people, said to be BJP members, (who) threatened us and took us to the local police station without any reason," he said in his complaint.

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