Ahead of Madhya Pradesh bypolls, one more Congress MLA resigns
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Rahul Lodhi resigned from the party and his Assembly membership and joined the ruling BJP on Sunday, ahead of the November 3 state bypolls.
With this, 26 MLAs have quit the Congress in the state since March this year.
"Lodhi has resigned and his resignation was accepted today," MP Assembly's Protem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma said.
"He gave his resignation on Friday, but I asked him to rethink over it for two days. He called me last night saying he was firm on it and wanted his resignation to be accepted on the auspicious day today," Sharma said.
BJP state spokesman Rajnish Agrawal later said Lodhi has joined his party. Lodhi represented Damoh seat in the state Assembly.
There are speculations that one more Congress MLA may also quit the party. By-elections to 28 Assembly seats in the state are scheduled on November 3.
Twenty-five of these seats fell vacant after sitting Congress MLAs resigned and joined the BJP, leading to the collapse of the Kamal Nath-led state government.
Most of these rebel Congress MLAs were considered close to Jyotiraditya Scindia, who also walked out of the Congress and joined the BJP.
Besides, three seats fell vacant due to the death of their sitting MLAs.
The BJP at present has 107 MLAs and it needs to win just nine more seats to reach the magic figure of 116 - the simple majority mark in the 230-member house.
The Congress's strength in the House has now been reduced to 87.
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Ramanagara (Karnataka), Apr 26: JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday alleged that cash and gift vouchers were distributed in Bengaluru Rural constituency, especially in Kanakapura Taluk, a charge rejected by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
D K Suresh, brother of Shivakumar, is seeking re-election from the seat for the fourth time.
The NDA, of which JD(S) is a part, has fielded cardiologist Dr C N Manjunath -- brother-in-law of Kumaraswamy and son-in-law of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda -- who is contesting on BJP ticket.
As the elections were in progress in 14 constituencies in the state, Kumaraswamy alleged that some supporters of BJP and the JD(S), were attacked in Kanakapura Taluk and their shirts were torn off.
"Guarantee cards (gift vouchers) were distributed with which people can make purchases up to Rs 10,000. When our boys made a noise, they were attacked," he alleged.
Money was also distributed since Thursday night, he said, adding that in Kunigal Taluk, a man died by suicide after Congress workers "attacked, pestered and threatened him."
"Even after giving complaints to the Election Commission, no action was taken," Kumaraswamy said, and added sarcastically: "I want to tell the EC to allow people to openly allow distribution."
Dismissing the allegation, Shivakumar accused Kumaraswamy of specialising in blame shifting.
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote at his birthplace Dodda Aalahalli in Kanakapura Taluk in Ramanagara district, he said, "It is Kumaraswamy’s habit to shift blame to others after committing a crime. He distributes gift cards and money to voters but accuses the Congress of doing so."
Regarding the allegation that Congress is giving gift coupons worth Rs 10,000 in Lulu Mall, Shivakumar said, "Let him (Kumaraswamy) go and lodge a complaint with the Election Commission. It is easy to do hit-and-run without any proof."
