Congress Alleges Political Coup Bid In Rajasthan, Moves MLAs To Resort

The Chief Whip of the Rajasthan meeting, Mahesh Joshi, has written to the chief of the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau.  “Like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka, in Rajasthan, our MLAs and independents supporting us are being lured in an attempt to destablise a democratically elected government, which is completely devoted to the service of people,” his letter learn.

Without naming the BJP, the letter mentioned, “Our MLAs and independents supporting us — attempts are being made to lure them with money power”. In an interview to NDTV on Tuesday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot mentioned he has heard “reports that the BJP is willing to spend up to 25 to 30 crore per MLA”.

Three Rajya Sabha seats of Rajasthan are up for election. Two of them are anticipated to go to the Congress and one to the BJP. The BJP, nonetheless, has stirred political waters by placing up two candidates as an alternative of 1. To win, every candidate wants 51 first choice votes.

For now, the Congress appears to be like comfy. But the BJP can flip the tables if can get the assist of 12 Independents, who’re at present backing the Congress.

The Congress has 107 MLAS – six of them have been from Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party who modified camps final 12 months. It additionally has assist of 12 impartial MLAs. The BJP has 72 MLAs and the assist of six extra from companions and independents.

Last week, 19 Congress legislators from Gujarat have been shifted to a resort in Rajasthan in view of the Rajya Sabha elections. Over the final months, the Congress misplaced seven of its MLAs in Gujarat. Three of them resigned just lately and there may be concern that others may observe.

Of the 4 Rajya Sabha seats up for election in Gujarat, the BJP has three and the Congress, one. The Congress has 65 MLAs in Gujarat, a few of whom have already been packed off to totally different resorts. The BJP has 103 members within the 182-member state meeting. A candidate wants 34 votes to win.

A majority in Rajya Sabha is essential for the BJP in an effort to pilot its payments by way of the higher home of parliament. In 2017, it fought a pitched battle in Gujarat to win the seat held by Congress’s Ahmed Patel, a prime Sonia Gandhi aide, however misplaced by a whisker. But moreover the Rajya Sabha, the social gathering can be attempting to increase its tally of states.

In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress authorities misplaced energy in March after senior chief Jyotiraditya Scindia switched to the BJP with 22 loyalist MLAS. Yesterday, an audio clip surfaced through which the BJP’s Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was purportedly heard claiming that the federal government was pulled down by the BJP’s central leaders.

The different state the place the Congress misplaced energy was Karnataka. The authorities led by Congress ally HD Kumaraswamy collapsed in July final 12 months after 16 legislators and two independents supporting it, resigned. The alliance had blamed the BJP, which denied any complicity.