In an interesting turn of events, an audio clip has emerged in which Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is allegedly heard telling his party workers that it was the Central leadership which had decided the fall of the Congress government, even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP have denied any role in the collapse of the Kamal Nath-led government in the state.

An audio clip containing the MP CM’s address to party workers from Indore’s Sanwer assembly segment during his Monday’s visit to Indore has gone viral.

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“It was the central leadership which had decided that government will be dislodged, else it would ruin everything. Tell me was it possible to dislodge the government without Jyotiraditya Scindia and Tulsi Silawat. There was no other way,” Chouhan is allegedly heard saying.

He futher says, “Today I welcome Jyotiraditya Scindia and Tulsi Silawat, as Tulsi Silawat left minister’s post for the formation of BJP government. In the coming by-poll if Tulsi Silawat doesn’t become MLA again, will I be able to remain CM, will the BJP government survive”.

Meanwhile, the authenticity of the audio clip cannot be established.

Reacting to Chouhan’s comment, Congress leader Narendra Saluja said: “Shivraj Singh Chouhan has himself spoken the truth, that the BJP was instrumental in pulling the Kamal Nath government with the help of Jyotiraditya Scindia and loyalists. Chouhan’s statement in Indore has also unraveled another truth that it was BJP’s central leadership which had decided to dislodge the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh”.

State BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal, meanwhile, tried to play down the issue saying “It has been said by him (Chouhan) in the past that the Congress government fell under its own weight. The government fell due to 22 Scindia loyalist MLAs and the ally MLAs and the state BJP formed the next government following the consent from the central leadership.”

In March, the 22 Scindia loyalist BJP MLAs (including six ministers) had quit from Vidhan Sabha and the Congress, consequently leading to the fall of the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government in MP. Scindia and his loyalist 22 MLAs, including former and present minister Tulsi Silawat are now in BJP.

The Election Commission is yet to announce the dates of the bypolls to be held in 24 Assembly segments in the state, which are expected around September.

Meanwhile, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath had last month said that the state’s people will give a befitting reply to former party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia who had switched sides to the BJP.

On Monday, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh also attacked Scindia. Without taking his name, Singh tweeted in Hindi, “It doesn’t take long for people to change for their selfishness. But the people know and understand everything. They only wait for the chance.”