The budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, which began on Monday, was adjourned till March 26 after the Kamal Nath-led government cited concerns over coronavirus, while the BJP demanded holding of a floor test as directed by Governor Lalji Tandon.
Speaker N P Prajapati adjourned the House after Legislative Affairs Minister Govind Singh broached the issue of coronavirus scare, saying the World Health Organisation has declared it a pandemic.
In a reminder of the developments in Karnataka last year, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the state government to undertake floor test in view of the political crisis in the state.
The plea alleged that the direction Tandon to Nath for conducting a floor test on March 16 was not complied with.
When the Karnataka political crisis was at its peak, the Supreme Court had in July last year directed that the 15 rebel MLAs of the Congress and JD(S) ought not to be compelled to take part in the proceedings of the Karnataka Assembly, which was then slated to decide the confidence motion moved by the H D Kumaraswamy-led state government.
Soon after the governor wrapped up his address to the Assembly earlier on Monday, Singh said, "You all know that in the wake of (Covid-19) pandemic outbreak, the ongoing Assembly sessions of Rajasthan, Kerala, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharasthra have been adjourned."