Two BJP MLAs vote for Congress govt's bill in Madhya Pradesh

Sharad Kol and Narayan Tripathi voted for the Advocate Protection Act Bill, a longtime demand of the lawyers of the state. Drafted 15 years ago, the bill could never made it to the Assembly during the three-term government of BJP's Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

"This is my ghar wapsi (homecoming),” Narayan Tripathi announced soon after, Hindustan Times reported. Tripathy had switched over to the BJP from the Congress in 2014.

The bill was part of the Congress' pre-poll promise.

Only a few hours prior to this, Gopal Bhargava, the leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, had boasted: "If there is an order from our No. 1 or No. 2, then your government will not survive even 24 hours."

Chief minister Kamal Nath replied: "Your top No. 1 and No. 2 are sensible, that is why they are not giving such orders. You are free to bring in a no-confidence motion."

As soon as Speaker Narmada Prasad Prajapati announced the outcome of the bill's voting, parliamentary affairs minister Govind Singh averred: "Two BJP members also voted in favour."

Bhargava denied it and said some members had signed more than once, and therefore a verification ought to be done.

The chief minister turned to the Speaker and said: "Let the verification process be accomplished immediately so as to make the situation clear."

The words elicited no reaction whatsoever from the Opposition.

The 230-strong Assembly has 114 Congress members, 108 BJP ones, two owing allegiance to the BSP and one to the Samajwadi Party besides four Independents.