While the BJP is facing allegations of toppling the Congress Government by horse trading, two of BJP legislators remained absent from the party meeting held at the State BJP headquarters on Tuesday. There is a big question mark on the loyalty of the MLAs — Sharad Kol from Beohari and Narayan Tripathi from Maihar who in the past had cross-voted in favour of Kamal Nath Government last year during a trust vote in the State Assembly. The newly appointed BJP state president VD Sharma had convened a meeting of party MLAs for Vindhya region at party headquarters in Bhopal on Tuesday. These two MLAs Kol and Tripathi, both former Congressmen remained absent. As Tripathi, a known political turncoat has remained mum on his political plans for a while, Kol who had joined BJP after being denied ticket in 2018 assembly polls, had been offering contradictory signals. However, couple of days ago, Kol in a video message had lashed out at his own party over alleged overlooking of Scheduled Caste community leaders in the party organisation. The BJP was quick to rebut the video saying it seems doctored. However, Kol’s absence from party meeting suggested otherwise. Both Kol and Tripathi had ditched their own party during the voting on a key bill during monsoon session of MP assembly which the Kamal Nath govt had turned into a trust vote. The BJP had taken no action on the rebels as there was no whip issued on that day.Political observers believe that numbers in assembly also compelled the BJP to keep the rebels in their flock. The present equation in the State assembly is- at present there are 228 MLAs with Congress having 114 MLAs and BJP 108. In the present scenario, the majority figure is 115. There are four intendents, two BSP MLAs and an MLA of the Samajwadi Party who all are extending outside support to Kamal Nath Government.

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