Haunted by 2020 revolt, Congress relocates Madhya Pradesh legislators before RS vote

The Congress’s response to a high-stakes Rajya Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh is playing out not in the halls of the Assembly in Bhopal, but closer to the tarmac as 61 legislators, some with families in tow, prepare to fly out to the friendlier shores of party-ruled Karnataka.

While it was earlier reported that the plane carrying the legislators had taken off for Karnataka, sources said that the aircraft is stranded pending clearance. A total of 38 MLAs have boarded the flight while 22 are scheduled to leave for Karnataka in the night.

On Tuesday, the party began shifting nearly all of the MLAs to Karnataka, describing the mass relocation as a precautionary measure amid allegations that the BJP was attempting to establish contact with some of them.

The decision, approved by the party leadership, comes days after the BJP sprang a surprise by fielding a third candidate, Mahesh Kewat, against Congress nominee Meenakshi Natarajan, transforming what was expected to be a routine election into a high-stakes test of party discipline.

Senior Congress leader and chief whip Sohan Valmiki confirmed that the legislators would remain in Karnataka until shortly before voting on June 18.

“It is the party’s decision to go to Karnataka. The BJP has made efforts to destroy democracy. We are taking efforts to make sure that this does not damage us in the future. I am certain that nothing like this will happen. Almost all the legislators are moving from Bhopal airport and some of them will be going with their families. We will return a day before the voting starts,” Valmiki said.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) Umang Singhar said the relocation was prompted by reports that BJP leaders were trying to contact the Congress MLAs. “The decision to shift the legislators was taken after reports emerged that the BJP was trying to make contact with some of our leaders. Following that, the party leadership decided to shift the legislators to a state where there is a Congress government,” he said.

State Congress president Jitu Patwari on Tuesday accused the BJP of attempting to manufacture a contest through “political engineering” rather than numbers, alleging that the ruling party’s decision to field a third Rajya Sabha candidate was part of a broader effort to destabilise the Opposition.

Patwari questioned the BJP’s decision to field Kewat despite lacking the numbers on paper, suggesting the move indicated an intention to rely on “jod-tod (breaking parties)” politics. “If there is a shortfall of 10 legislators, efforts will be made to make up that deficit through political manipulation,” he said, alleging that money power could be deployed to influence the Congress MLAs.

Congress nervous

Several legislators were accompanied by family members as they boarded flights from Bhopal, turning what would ordinarily have been a low-profile legislative exercise into a high-stakes battle.

The Congress’s step underlines its nervousness since the BJP fielded Kewat. While the Congress maintains that it has sufficient numbers to elect Natarajan, party leaders appear unwilling to leave anything to chance. While the BJP currently has 165 MLAs, sufficient to win two seats, to ensure Kewat’s victory in the third seat, it will need to secure 9 to 11 additional votes.

Former Congress legislator Bina Sapre’s vote remains unclear after senior BJP leaders said she would vote for its candidate. Both parties are also actively courting Bharat Adivasi Party MLA Kamleshwar Dodiyar.

Unlike a direct election, a Rajya Sabha contest is decided by legislators, making party discipline crucial. Even a handful of abstentions, invalid votes or unexpected cross-voting can alter the political narrative and trigger questions about the authority of a party’s leadership. For the BJP, that uncertainty appears to be the point.

By fielding Kewat, the BJP has forced the Congress to spend the past week managing perceptions of unity after sections of the party privately expressed disappointment over the nomination of Natarajan, a former Mandsaur MP and long-time Rahul Gandhi loyalist.

The BJP has repeatedly sought to highlight those undercurrents, while Congress leaders have responded with a series of meetings and public endorsements by senior figures, including Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Vivek Tankha, Patwari, and Singhar.

The Scindia rebellion

Yet beneath the immediate battle over the Rajya Sabha seat lies a deeper anxiety. Congress leaders may not publicly acknowledge it, but the party remains haunted by the events of March 2020, when Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress along with 22 MLAs, toppling the Kamal Nath government and returning the BJP to power. The episode left a lasting imprint on the Opposition party. Since then, every close vote and every contest involving legislators has been viewed through the prism of possible defections.

The Karnataka move comes at a moment when the party is trying to project stability after the debate surrounding Natarajan’s nomination. Senior leader Naresh Gyanchandani had resigned over the decision to replace Digvijaya Singh with Natarajan, warning that the choice could create conditions for cross-voting. Although the party quickly rallied behind its official nominee, the remarks offered the BJP an opportunity to question Congress unity.

A senior Congress functionary involved in coordinating the legislators’ travel said the leadership was determined not to repeat past mistakes. “Nobody wants surprises. We have seen what can happen when even a few legislators change sides,” the leader said.

Senior Congress leader Dinesh Gurjar dismissed suggestions that the MLAs were unhappy with the party’s choice. “All are one family. We are not a family of traitors,” he said.

Others, however, acknowledged that the MLAs had been receiving calls and facing political pressure. Congress MLA Babu Singh Jandel struck a lighter note while discussing the Karnataka trip. “We have been asked to travel till June 18. I suggested that we be sent on a teerth yatra, or to Odisha. I have not yet travelled there,” he said.

But Jandel also claimed that attempts were being made to influence legislators. “I am getting calls and offers. I got an offer of Rs 10 crore. To get rid of these things, we are travelling in peace,” he alleged.

Another Congress legislator, Narayan Singh Patta, said he had not personally received any calls from BJP leaders but supported the decision to move MLAs out of the state. “In my case, I have not got any calls from the BJP. It is impossible they call me. I have not got any offers also. In the BJP’s time, there is the use of fear and greed to influence people, so the party took a decision to shift the legislators,” Patta said.

The BJP has rejected similar allegations in the past and has consistently accused Opposition parties of manufacturing claims of horse-trading whenever they face internal challenges. BJP leaders maintain that the Congress is attempting to create a narrative to conceal divisions within its own ranks.

“Rajya Sabha elections are free and fair elections and must be taken in the spirit of the Constitution. All MLAs should vote above the party line with their free will while participating in the elections. We appeal to every legislator to vote for us; that’s our right. Whosoever wins will go to the Upper House. I don’t see anything unfair in this,” said BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai.

Meanwhile, the BJP has challenged Natarajan’s affidavit for allegedly concealing criminal cases. Senior leaders of Congress and BJP rushed to the Assembly.