COVID-19: MP CM Kamal Nath To Meet Governor Over Postponing Budget Session

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government is mulling the postponement of the budget session of the state assembly in view of the COVID-19 health emergency, according to media reports on Friday. MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath is likely to meet Governor Lalji Tandon in this context on Friday. It remains to be seen as to what emerges out of the meeting between the governor and the state chief minister.

The delay in convening the state assembly would come as a breather for the Kamal Nath government which is battling for survival. The postponement also casts a cloud on the game of numbers being played out between the BJP and the Congress in Madhya Pradesh.

The delay in convening the assembly gives the Kamal Nath faction in the Congress time to woo over some of those who left the party along with Jyotiraditya Scindia. At the same time, it also complicates matters for the BJP which now has to hold on to this breakaway group of Congress legislators mostly holed up in Bengaluru.

Things came to a head between Jyotiraditya Scindia and groups in the Congress leadership in Madhya Pradesh led by Digvijay Singh and Kamal Nath, forcing Scindia to quit the party and join the BJP. 22 MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia also left the Congress along with him and 19 of them are staying at a resort in Bengaluru amidst tight security.

Both the BJP and Congress are certain of their numbers and are claiming majority. When the assembly reconvenes, a floor test would settle things decisively, but the question then would be—when will this take place in the light of COVID-19?