‘Get ₹300 crore for Bina, I’ll stay with Congress’:MLA Nirmala Sapre says, ‘I’m with whoever grants district status’; party accuses her of betrayal amid BJP proximity

Congress MLA from Bina, Nirmala Sapre, has triggered a fresh political controversy in Madhya Pradesh after publicly stating that she would support whoever gets Bina declared a district and sanctions ₹300 crore for development works. Sapre, who has repeatedly been seen attending BJP programmes despite being elected on a Congress ticket, made the remarks while interacting with the media in Sagar. “If Umang Singhar gets Bina declared a district and arranges ₹300 crore for development works, then I am ready to stay with them. Whoever gets district status for Bina, we are with them,” Sapre said. ‘Matter is pending in court, I cannot comment’ When asked about her current political affiliation, Sapre avoided giving a direct answer, saying the matter was sub judice. She said the public had already delivered its verdict and the final decision would rest with the court. “You also know that when a matter is pending in court, we should not comment on it. Whatever is decided, the court will decide,” she said. Sapre also claimed that she never approached the court herself and that Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar had initiated the legal proceedings against her. “If they have doubts, they should clear them in court,” she said.
Accuses Congress leaders of conspiracy Responding to questions over her absence from Congress events and offices, Sapre alleged that certain leaders within the party were conspiring against her and did not want her to remain politically active. “There are some people in the party who do not want the MLA of Bina to work. The development work that could not be done in the last 15-20 years is now being completed,” she claimed. Sapre attended the District Development Advisory Committee meeting in Sagar on Thursday under the chairmanship of minister-in-charge Rajendra Shukla. Congress hits back, demands resignation Senior Congress leader and former minister PC Sharma strongly criticised Sapre, accusing her of betraying the party after winning the election on a Congress ticket. “Nirmala Sapre is completely lying. The Congress party gave her a ticket and made her an MLA. During the Lok Sabha elections, she openly participated in BJP programmes. She should resign on moral grounds,” Sharma said. He further alleged that Sapre’s remarks exposed “open political horse-trading” and accused her of confusing the public by shifting political loyalties. “Democracy is not a joke. The people’s mandate cannot be weighed against power and political deals,” Sharma said, while demanding that the Assembly Speaker take immediate action. Anti-defection case pending before Speaker, court The controversy surrounding Sapre dates back to July 2024, when Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar filed a petition before the Assembly Speaker seeking her disqualification under the anti-defection law. After no decision was taken within the stipulated period, Singhar approached the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in November 2024. The matter was later heard in Jabalpur after the state government sought a transfer of proceedings. Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, an MLA can face disqualification for voluntarily giving up party membership or defying the party whip. While Sapre has frequently attended BJP events, she has neither resigned from the Congress nor formally joined the BJP. The final decision now rests with the Assembly Speaker and the judiciary.