NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: At least 8 to 9 rebel Congress MLAs who tendered their resignations to Madhya Pradesh Speaker are said to be upset with Jyotiraditya Scindia who is likely to join the BJP on Wednesday, as they do not want to resign and contest elections again, sources claimed.

The Congress MLAs lodged in Bengaluru have made contacts with their party through a messenger, claimed sources as the party has pitched in trusted troubleshooter D.K. Shivakumar to win back the MLAs.

The Congress claimed that the MLAs were asked to put up together in Bengaluru till Scindia got first seat for the Rajya Sabha elections.

Shivkumar, while talking to media, asserted that MLAs will return soon and the deadlock will not continue for long.

P.C. Sharma, a minister in Madhya Pradesh government, said that they will “wait for Kamal Nath masterstroke”. The Congress is packing its MLAs to Jaipur to protect them from being poached. Even as the Congress is confident of poaching at least half a dozen MLAs from the BJP, said a source.

As of now the number game seems tilting towards the BJP which has 107 MLAs in the House as the current strength is 228. But if 20 MLAs resign, the strength of the house could come down to 208 and the BJP will need only 104 MLAs.

While the Congress has to manage at least 15 MLAs to defeat the BJP in the Assembly.

The Samajwadi Party has 1 MLA and 4 are Independent MLAs while out of 2 BSP MLAs, one is a rebel.

There are two BJP MLAs who have openly revolted against the saffron party and their number could go down to 105 in the house.

The Congress is banking more on the BJP MLAs to defect to the party and cajole their own MLAs back and lure them for ministerial berths.

The BJP has to manage its own flock and see that the MLAs in Bengaluru did not go back to their parent party as sources claim that many thought this is for Scindia Rajya Sabha pressure tactics.

IANS