JAIPUR: Rajasthan's Sirohi MLA Sanyam Lodha has charged state BJP chief Satish Poonia with the bid to tarnish the image of the legislators who backed the Congress in the just-concluded Rajya Sabha polls and sought action for the breach of their privilege.
In a letter to Assembly Speaker C P Joshi on Sunday, the legislator alleged that Poonia attempted to tarnish the image of 23 MLAs belonging to other parties and Independents by claiming that the state government offered them mines, plots and cash for supporting the Congress candidates.
The ruling Congress had won two seats and the BJP one in the Rajya Sabha polls held in the state on Friday. Attaching a news report with his letter, Lodha sought action against Poonia under the breach of privilege motion.
I am a member of the legislative assembly and desirous to uphold the integrity and prestige of the institution.
A blatant attempt has been made by Satish Pooonia to tarnish the image of members of the legislative assembly by raising false aspersions against 23 members, Lodha said in the letter.
The Sirohi MLA further said Poonia not only tried to harm the image of the legislators but also the legislative assembly by making allegations of such a nature in a newspaper without substantiating it with any proof.
Poonia, on the other hand, dubbed the attack a political propaganda.
Lodha is working as a Congress agent. Even the chief minister has stated of Rs 35 crore being offered to MLAs in the RS polls. Whatever I have said has a ground. We will fight the motion, Poonia said.
The Congress has 107 MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly and it enjoys the support of 18 other MLAs, including 13 Independents, whereas the BJP has 72 lawmakers and support of three Rashtriya Loktantrik Party legislators.