Congress MLA Narayan Patel resigns from Madhya Pradesh Assembly

In a big jolt to Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Mandhata MLA Narayan Patel on Thursday has resigned from his post in the state Assembly. Patel has become the 25th Congress MLA to do so since March. With 27 seats vacant in the Assembly now, EC will hold elections to 24 seats by Septemeber 2020.

Bhopal: In a big jolt to the Congress, Narayan Patel, the MLA from Mandhata on Thursday resigned from his membership of the Legislative Assembly. His resignation was accepted by Protem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma.

Patel, who is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) later today, is the third Congress MLA who has resigned in the last 15 days and 25th party MLA to do so since March. Madhya Pradesh by-elections will be held in 27 places.

According to the sources, some more Congress MLAs may resign and join the BJP. Earlier, Congress MLA from Bada Malhera, Pradyuman Lodhi resigned and joined the BJP.

On July 17, Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Sumitra Devi Kasdekar resigned from her Assembly membership and joined the BJP. She submitted her resignation to the Protem Speaker which was accepted as well. A few hours later, she met Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and joined BJP. Kasdekar represented the Nepanagar Assembly constituency.

In March this year, 22 Congress MLAs resigned from Assembly paving way for Chouhan to take over as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for the fourth time, from Kamal Nath.

Meanwhile, considering the ongoing pandemic situation and floods, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has deferred by-elections of eight constituencies to September 7 this year. The elections will be held as soon as the situation becomes conducive.

The eight constituencies are -- Bihar (1 Valmiki Nagar PC), Assam (108, Sibsagar AC), Tamil Nadu (10-Thiruvottiyur, AC and 46, Gudiyattam (SC) AC), Madhya Pradesh (166, Agar, (SC) AC), Uttar Pradesh (65, Bulandhahr AC and 95, Tundla AC) and Kerala (117, Chavara AC).

ANI