JAIPUR : The Congress victory in the Rajya Sabha polls has come as a shot in the arm for Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who was faced with a double challenge of internal squabbles in the party as well as alleged horse-trading attempts by the opposition BJP. The Congress won two of the three RS seats from the state with Gehlot managing to get the support of all Independent, BTP and CPM MLAs, once again proving his political acumen and management.
Attacking the BJP after the results, he said, “Their conspiracy has been exposed as we had requested the MLAs to stay together. They broke away seven MLAs through horse trading in Karnataka. What happened in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat is well known. But Rajasthan was able to escape that fate…This is a big victory for Congress politics in Rajasthan.”
It was Gehlot’s plan to get all Congress MLAs holed up at a resort to insulate them from the BJP’s alleged horse-trading attempts without even letting his deputy Sachin Pilot know. A complaint was lodged and SOG investigation was initiated.
A complaint was also lodged with the anti-corruption bureau. CM himself stayed in the hotel for several days with MLAs and kept an eye on every event.
All this, coupled with alleged phone call surveillance, made MLAs extra careful and they avoided taking unknown calls. The BJP, meanwhile, sought to play down its loss. “We fielded a second candidate and made life difficult for Congress leadership. This is the first time the government has been scared of the opposition in Rajasthan,” said Rajendra Rathore, Deputy Leader of Opposition.