Bhopal : In a rude shock to the BJP, which was basking in the Karnataka afterglow, two of its party MLAs voted for the Kamal Nath government during division of votes on an important legislation. The Congress lost no time in describing it as sweet revenge for the Karnataka episode.
A total of 122 MLAs voted for the government, including Narayan Tripathi and Sharad Kol of the BJP. In the 230-member House, the Congress has support of 121 MLAs, including Speaker N P Prajapati, who did not take part in the voting.
Earlier, in the day, Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava had claimed that the BJP can bring down the Nath government within 24 hours, if it gets a signal from its Number One and Number Two.
But a confident Kamal Nath, who was present in the House, retorted, "The government will complete its tenure. Not a single Congress MLA is up for sale."
Turning to Bhargava, he said, "Your Number One and Number Two are intelligent people, that is why they are not giving you the signal." He then dared the BJP leaders, "Let us have a floor test today itself, if you want."
The two BJP legislators - Sharad Kol of Beohari and Narayan Tripathi of Maihar – were later presented before the reporters by the Chief Minister. Both MLAs described their act of defiance as ''ghar wapsi''.
Tripathi, who has been elected from Maihar several times, is a known party-hopper and has been in the Samajwadi Party and the Congress earlier. Kol has also been in the Congress.
Tripathi told media, "I was feeling suffocated in the BJP. Shivraj made several announcements and I suffered because of that." Kol said that he only wants development of his constituency and will do anything for it.
A triumphant Congress later expressed hope there will more arrivals from the BJP. "Some more BJP MLAs are in touch with (Chief Minister) Kamal Nath. Let us wait and watch," said a party leader.
Motor mouth BSP MLA Rambai, during a discussion in the House, said that she would take money from the BJP but vote for the Congress. She was in news recently as her husband is absconding after being charged with murder.
