‘Ghar wapsi’: 2 BJP MLAs extend support to Kamal Nath govt bill in Assembly

Bhopal: Two BJP lawmakers stunned their party on Wednesday when they extended support to an amendment to the criminal procedure code in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. Narayan Triparhi, one of the two MLAs said, “This is my ghar wapsi (homecoming).”

Tripathi, who had been a Congress legislator, had switched over to the BJP in 2014. The other BJP MLA to support the Kamal Nath government’s bill is Sharad Kol.

The voting came hours after Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargav claimed that the Congress government in the state would collapse in 24 hours if the BJP’s “No. 1 or No.2” (senior leadership) issued an order to that effect. He had also dared Kamal Nath to undertake a trust vote in the Assembly.

On Wednesday, the BJP’s Gopal Bhargava had claimed that the opposition could pull down the Kamal Nath government at any time. The only reason that the Congress-led coalition had survived was because he hadn’t received his orders from the party leadership in Delhi.

Nath shot back, pointing that this was probably because the party’s top two bosses were “wiser” than he was. He also dared Bhargava to try a no confidence motion against the government if he was so inclined.

The amendment to the criminal procedure code was supported by 122 MLAs though the state’s ruling coalition only has the support of 120 MLAs (excluding the speaker).

After the Assembly session, Narayan Tripathi spoke about how there had been efforts to sabotage his election from within the BJP and how the last Shivraj Chouhan government only made announcements but didn’t deliver. “During the then BJP government, there were only assurances but no development work was done in my constituency Maihar,” he said.

“Neither do I have a political legacy nor is politics my business. I work for the people of Maihar and expect ‘samman’ and ‘swabhiman’ (respect and pride),” Tripathi told News18.

“After joining the BJP, I realised that people who come in from other parties aren’t given any of that. They will put 'tika' on the forehead and offer a 'gamchha' (stole) on joining, but won’t look after you,” said Tripathi who was also associated with the SP in the past.

However, Kol told News18, “BJP leaders can’t accept anyone who worked for the Congress for 10 years...I have returned to my family and I am sure under Kamal Nath, my region would see rapid development.”