Bhopal, March 9: As many as 20 ministers who attended the cabinet meeting called by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath resigned late on Monday. "All ministers, present at the meeting, have handed over their resignations (to CM Kamal Nath). We have requested him to reconstitute the state cabinet and tackle the situation created by BJP... Sarkar bachi hui hai, poore 5 saal chalegi (government is safe and will complete five years)," Congress leader PC Sharma told reporters.

According to Congress leader Umang Singhar, 20 ministers attended the cabinet meeting and later resigned. CM Kamal Nath called an emergency cabinet meeting at his residence after over a dozen MLAs, who are reportedly close to Jyotiraditya Scindia, reportedly flew to BJP-ruled Karnataka, leaving a sword hanging over the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh. While Scindia remained tight-lipped on the dramatic developments, the Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of poaching its legislators.

Following resignations of his ministers, Nath said he won't let instability touch Madhya Pradesh. "I won't let those forces succeed which are creating instability with mafia's help. My biggest strength is trust and love of people of Madhya Pradesh. I won't let those forces succeed which are creating instability in government - a government created by people of Madhya Pradesh," the Chief Minister said in a statement. Congress Infighting in Madhya Pradesh: Not Upset With Jyotiraditya Scindia, Says Kamal Nath After Party Asks Them to Iron Out Differences.

Bankim Silawat, the son of Congress Minister Tulsi Silawat, Scindia's close aide Purushottam Parashar, Rajyawardhan Singh, Pradhuman Singh Tomar, Giriraj, Raksha Sinoriya, Jaswant Jatav, Suresh Dhakad, Jajpal Singh and Brijendra Yadav are among MLAs who landed in Bengaluru. Last week, 10 MLAs had gone "missing" but eight of them have returned to the state, the latest being Congress legislator Bisahu Lal Singh, who met Kamal Nath in Bhopal on Sunday and said he was with the party.

Two MLAs, Raghuraj Singh Kansana and Hardeep Singh Dang, have still not been traced. Dang had sent his resignation to the Speaker and Kamal Nath. Scindia and Nath have been at loggerheads ever since the Congress leadership chose the latter for the chief ministerial post. Besides, Scindia has been trying to become the party's state unit chief, a post which the Chief Minister continues to hold on to, despite this being against the party's one man, one post principle.

A tussle is also underway between Nath and Scindia over the filing of 3 nominations to the ensuing Rajya Sabha elections on March 26. The shocker for the Madhya Pradesh government came on a day when Chief Minister Kamal Nath met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi and briefed her about the current political situation in the state following the last week's attempt to topple the government.

In the 228-member assembly in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress has 114 seats and formed the government with the help of two BSP, one Samajwadi Party and four independent Legislators. Two seats are currently vacant after the death of the respective MLAs. The BJP has 107 seats.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 09, 2020 11:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).