The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is unlikely to act immediately against two of its lawmakers in Madhya Pradesh, who cross voted for a bill in the Madhya Pradesh assembly on Wednesday, effectively supporting the Congress which enjoys a wafer-thin majority in the state, according to people aware of the development.
Sharad Kol and Narayan Tripathi voted for the bill hours after former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the BJP likened Madhya Pradesh’s Kamal Nath-led government to that of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) or JD (S) coalition in Karnataka which fell on Monday. He said the BJP should not be held responsible if the state government collapsed . The ruling coalition has 121 seats in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly while the BJP has 108.
“The BJP leadership wants to give an opportunity to the two to realise their mistake and come back to the BJP- fold so that the party’s strength remains intact in the state assembly,’’ said a BJP leader on condition of anonymity.
This person added that there was no whip issued regarding the bill and that the party can cite this technicality to say that there was no indiscipline on part of the two.
To be sure, while the lawmakers lose their MLA-status if they defect, they retain it if the party expels them.
Tripathi remained defiant saying the BJP leadership did not give him the respect he deserved. He accused the state’s previous BJP government of doing nothing for the development of his assembly constituency , Maihar. “I have no fear of any disqualification. I am only committed to the development of Maihar.” The lawmaker defected to the BJP in 2014.
Despite efforts Kol could not be reached for his comments.
Opposition leader Gopal Bhargava of the BJP said he is yet to talk to the two lawmakers.
Ex-principal secretary of the assembly Bhagwandev Israni said, “Those who cross-voted are safe from any disqualification as they didn’t violate any whip.”
