Congress leader Digvijaya Singh early Wednesday sat on a dharna outside Ramada hotel in Bengaluru. The development came after Singh was allegedly not allowed by the police to visit the hotel, where 21 Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs are lodged in. The Congress leader had arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru early Wednesday and was received by the newly-appointed president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and former Karnataka minister DK Shivakumar.
DK Shivakumar also went to the Ramana Hotel in Bengaluru's Yelahanka area which is where the rebel MLAs are currently staying.
A video of Digvijaya Singh sitting on dharna outside the Bengaluru hotel was posted by news agency ANI.
Digvijaya Singh was later placed under preventive arrest by the police.
Addressing the media over the incident, Digvijaya Singh said, "I'm a Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh, voting is scheduled for March 26."
"My 22 MLAs have been held captive here in Bangalore. They want to talk to me. Their phones have been snatched. Let me allow to meet them," he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Digvijaya Singh had said that Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh has the numbers and is ready to face a no-confidence motion in the state Assembly.
"A no-confidence motion has been given to the Speaker and he will decide. We are ready to face the no-confidence motion," Singh told reporters in Bhopal.
He said that the party will appeal to the court to bring back all MLAs.
"All these MLAs who are in Bengaluru, what are they doing there? We will appeal to the court to bring them back," he said.
The development comes as the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, which met on Monday morning for the Budget session was adjourned till March 26, immediately after the Governor's address, in view of the coronavirus outbreak.
Earlier, Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon had written a letter to Chief Minister Kamal Nath directing him to conduct the floor test on March 17.
Soon after quitting the Congress Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the BJP and was announced as the latter's candidate for the Rajya Sabha. Scindia's decision to leave Congress was followed by the resignation of 22 party MLAs loyal to him. The legislators who have resigned include six ministers.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear today the petition filed by former Madhya Pradesh CM and BJP leader, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and others to hold floor test in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly.
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