Bharatiya Janata Party leader Imarti Devi on Tuesday resigned as the Madhya Pradesh women and child development minister following her loss in the Dabra bye-polls, News18 reported. Devi had lost the Dabra seat to Suresh Raje of the Congress by 7,633 votes.
The former MLA put out a video statement, saying she has submitted her resignation to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. There were speculations about her resignation following her bye-polls defeat.
“I have handed over my resignation to bhai sahab [Chouhan] and it’s up to him whether he accepts it or rejects it,” said Devi. “You guys please get the confirmation from the CM… why am I being bothered on this time and again?”
Besides Devi, two other ministers of the Chouhan-led Cabinet – Aidal Singh Kansana and Girraj Dandotia – had lost the bye-elections. Kansana was the first to resign after which Dandotia put down his papers, , according to the Free Press Journal. Unidentified officials have told The Free Press Journal that the ministers who resigned may be made chairpersons of corporations.
Before the resignation of the three leaders, the Congress had alleged that there was something fishy as they had not quit the Cabinet, despite losing the bye-elections. Narendra Saluja, the media coordinator of the Congress, had alleged that Devi did not resign because of some big tender in her ministry.
Devi, along with Dandotia and Kansana, belongs to Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia’s camp. Scindia had quit the Congress and joined the BJP, leading to the fall of the Kamal Nath-led government earlier in March this year. All three were made ministers in the Chouhan government. Devi was the only minister in the Congress government before she left the party.
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