JAIPUR: The Rajya Sabha election in Rajasthan is getting murkier by the day. On Sunday, the ruling Congress complained to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan police that horse-trading efforts are being made to lure MLAs to switch sides.
Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi lodged a formal complaint alleging that efforts were underway to tempt MLAs of the Congress camp after some MLAs provided inputs that telephonic efforts are being made to lure them to vote for BJP-backed candidate Subhash Chandra. The Congress is also relieved as it has pacified six MLAs who were angry but reached the Udaipur resort along with CM Ashok Gehlot.
Mahesh Joshi, the Congress Chief Whip in the assembly, has demanded a thorough probe by the ACB to ensure that corrupt deals are not struck to tempt MLAs. Enticing and taking/giving money in a corrupt manner comes under the category of crime and Joshi has asked ACB to start a legal investigation to eliminate the possibility of horse-trading.
While talking to the media after registering the complaint, Joshi said that apprehensions are being expressed from social media and other sources that in the Rajya Sabha elections, a big game of money power is being played. Joshi claimed that the BJP is playing the dirty game of horse-trading in Rajasthan through media baron Subhash Chandra.
Although Chandra is projected as an independent candidate, all his proposers are BJP MLAs and Joshi alleged that horse-trading is being tried to fetch votes for Chandra. Joshi said, “the BJP is spoiling the atmosphere through horse-trading for the Rajya Sabha elections. They are playing the game of horse-trading which threatens to weaken democracy. As I am the government chief whip in the state assembly, it is my moral responsibility to bring such conspiracies of the BJP in front of the public.”
For the Congress, there was more relief as it was able to pacify the six MLAs who were angry. After two days of meetings, the six MLAs met CM Gehlot late on Saturday night and the Chief Minister was finally able to convince the angry MLAs who were being called ‘the G6 Group’. After this, CM Gehlot took these MLAs to Udaipur by a special plane on Sunday. These MLAs include Minister of State for Sainik Welfare Rajendra Gudha, Ramkhiladi Berwa, Girraj Singh Malinga, Wajid Ali, Sandeep Yadav and Lakhan Singh Meena.
Of these, four had joined the Congress from BSP in 2019 and Gehlot targeted the BJP and asserted, “ for our comrades who came from BSP to Congress and saved the government in the political crisis two years ago, the Rajya Sabha election is a very small matter. They had minor displeasure which has gone away. What can BJP expect from them? Questions will arise on why BJP fielded another candidate even though there was no vote.” The G6 MLAs had opened a front against the government for the past several days over their pending issues.
Meanwhile, the Aravali Resort in Udaipur where all MLAs of Congress camp have been herded has virtually turned into a fortress with security all around. Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, a police cordon has been built around the resort. Over 150 policemen in uniform and plain clothes have been deployed on duty at different check posts in a circle of 300 feet around the resort. The police have been directed that any outsider, whose ID is not verified, should not be able to move beyond the bridge of the resort under any circumstances. Also, there is a clear instruction that no MLA can go out of the resort without approval.
Significantly, there is an atmosphere of happiness in the Udaipur resort after CM Gehlot persuaded the G-6 angry MLAs. Now, the fears for Congress's third candidate Pramod Tiwari not getting elected to Rajya Sabha have greatly receded.