Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon has asked Chief Minister Kamal Nath to conduct a floor test in the state Assembly by Tuesday, reported ANI. Earlier in the day, the Assembly was adjourned without a floor test till March 26 as a preventive step to contain coronavirus.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear a petition filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party seeking a floor test in the Assembly within 12 hours.

Nath’s government was scheduled to hold a floor test earlier in the day based on Tandon’s order last week. The state has catapulted into political chaos following former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia’s exit from the party. Tandon had ordered the floor test after at least 22 MLAs sent their resignations to him.

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In his letter to Nath, Tandon has cautioned that if the current administration failed to complete the floor test, it would “be considered that you actually don’t have the majority in the state assembly”.

Until early last week, the state government, which was formed in late 2018, had the support of 121 MLAs in the 230-seat Assembly – 114 MLAs of the Congress, and the rest being from the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party and Independents. However, the resignations of as many as 22 Congress MLAs on Tuesday has made the government’s collapse imminent. The Bharatiya Janata Party has 107 MLAs, while two seats are vacant.

After receiving news of the governor’s diktat, Congress leader PC Sharma said: “The letter from the Governor is surprising and it seems that he is under pressure.”

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Earlier in the day, the BJP had approached the Supreme Court seeking a floor test in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly within 12 hours. The petition was filed soon after Assembly proceedings were adjourned till March 26.

Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Secretariat did not mention holding of a floor test on Monday in the List of Business it issued on Sunday night.