Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s camp on Thursday night released audio recordings of purported conversations between a representative of a Union minister and an MLA supporting rebel leader Sachin Pilot.
The three short audio clips have conversations in English, Hindi and Marwari with references to “payment of installment”, “amount” given to the MLA with “due regard to his seniority” and including names of certain MLAs in the list of Pilot’s supporters.
DH could not establish the veracity of the recordings.
The recordings were released by the Gehlot camp, a day after the chief minister claimed that he had proof of Pilot hobnobbing with BJP leaders to topple the Rajasthan government.
Meanwhile, in a related development, BJP ally in Rajasthan Hanuman Beniwal on Thursday alleged that former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was helping Gehlot save his government.
“Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has called up Congress MLAs close to her and asked them to support Ashok Gehlot. She has called each and every Jat MLA in Sikar and Nagaur and asked them to keep distance from Sachin Pilot, I have proof of this,” Beniwal, who represents Nagaur in Lok Sabha sais.
BJP rushed into damage control mode with Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia saying that Beniwal has been advised against making such statements.