- Congress MLAs and families faced confusion at Bhopal Airport over smaller aircraft to Bengaluru
- Congress arranged two batches of flights due to plane capacity of 75, less than expected 180
- BJP fielded Mahesh Kevat for Rajya Sabha seat against Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan
Congress MLAs, many of them accompanied by their families, reached the Bhopal Airport on Tuesday expecting to board a large special aircraft to Bengaluru. But as the legislators waited with bags, spouses and children in tow, confusion broke out. The aircraft arranged for them was smaller than expected.
The Congress had reportedly discussed a large aircraft capable of carrying around 180 people. Instead, a smaller plane with a capacity of nearly 75 passengers arrived. What followed was an unusual scene: MLAs waiting at the airport, families unsure whether they would fly together, and party managers hurriedly working out a two-batch evacuation plan.
The development came amid heightened political tension after the BJP fielded Mahesh Kevat, chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Welfare Board, as its third candidate for the Congress-held Rajya Sabha seat. Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan and Kevat filed their nominations on Monday, turning the contest into a high-stakes test of loyalty and arithmetic.
The Congress, wary of possible cross-voting, decided to shift its MLAs to party-ruled Karnataka. On Tuesday, the MLAs first gathered at Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar's residence and then left for the airport in their own vehicles.
Several MLAs had arrived with their family members after being told, during a dinner hosted by the Leader of Opposition, that a 180-seater special aircraft would be arranged. Timarni MLA Abhijit Shah was joined by his wife, Palak and their 11-month-old son, saying the trip would give him a chance to spend time with his family. MLA Bhairo Singh Parihar arrived with his wife and two daughters. The families of MLA R K Dogne and Chief Whip Sohan Valmiki also reached the airport. Mandsaur MLA Vipin Jain also arrived with his wife.
But with the smaller aircraft unable to accommodate everyone, the Congress decided to send the MLAs and their family members in two batches. Around 76 MLAs and family members were to be sent first, while another flight was planned later in the evening for the remaining MLAs and their families.
Behind the airport confusion was a deeper political anxiety.
The Congress says it has full faith in its 62 MLAs, but does not trust the BJP's "politics of poaching". "It is natural that we are taking them to a Congress-ruled state. We have full faith in all 62 MLAs, but we are alert against the BJP's politics of breaking parties. The BJP should take care of its own MLAs," said Singhar.
Singhar also claimed that the Congress could secure more than 62 votes and alleged that BJP leaders had offered money to Congress MLAs. "A salute to our MLAs. They returned the bags filled with money offered by the BJP. All MLAs are united," he said.
Congress MLA Babu Jandel went a step further, claiming that he was offered Rs 10 crore to cross-vote through a businessman.
The party high command has also stepped in. Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala has been appointed observer for the Rajya Sabha contest. Surjewala, who is also the party's in-charge for Karnataka, has been given the task of keeping the MLAs together and managing the political turbulence.
The Congress is clearly haunted by the memory of 2020, when the Kamal Nath government collapsed after resignations by MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia. Scindia is now a minister in the NDA government at the Centre. That episode continues to shape the party's instinct whenever numbers become tight in Madhya Pradesh.
The current arithmetic is delicate. The Congress has 64 MLAs in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, but one MLA is ineligible to vote following a Supreme Court order. Another Congress MLA, Nirmala Sapre from Sagar, has been seen sharing public platforms with BJP leaders and has stayed away from Congress legislative party meetings. She was also reportedly spotted near the Chief Minister's residence on Monday.
The BJP, meanwhile, needs additional votes to win the third seat, even if it gets support from Sapre and BAP MLA Kamlesh Dodiyar. That is why the Congress is guarding its flock.
The BJP has mocked the move. Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said the Congress does not trust its own MLAs, which is why it is preparing to send them away. "They should stay in Bhopal like lions. There is no issue. The BJP trusts its MLAs, which is why they are all in Bhopal," he said.
The contest became interesting after the BJP fielded Kevat on the last day of nominations. BJP's Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal had filed their nominations earlier on Saturday. According to party sources, Kevat's name was finalised after three days of deliberations and discussions with the central leadership.
The Congress, meanwhile, has fielded former MP Natarajan, projecting her candidature as a major political moment ahead of the 2028 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. Congress leaders are also framing the battle as one between a woman candidate and what they call the BJP's "anti-women" politics.
