More than 20 Congress MLAs from Rajasthan have accused the BJP of trying to lure Congress MLAs and those in support of the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government in an attempt to topple the state government.
“We have clear information that top leaders of the BJP are involved in this conspiracy, who are contacting Congress MLAs and trying to misguide them by luring them in various ways. But the Congress in the state and all the MLAs who support it will not let their efforts to succeed,” the MLAs said in the joint statement.
In the assembly of 200, the Congress has 107 MLAs and has the support of independent MLAs and legislators of other parties like Rashtriya Lok Dal, CPI (M) and Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP).
In relation to the political crisis brewing in the state, the Special Operations Group of Rajasthan Police (SOG) has arrested two people who allegedly had offered Rs 20-25 crore to Congress and independent MLAs to break away from the Congress-led government. The case was lodged following surveillance of their mobile phones and the identity of political leaders who were in their touch is being ascertained, said Additional Director General Ashok Rathore of Rajasthan Anti-Terrorist Squad and Special Operation Group.
The two accused, Ashok Singh and Bharat Malani were booked under IPC sections 124 A (Sedition) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy). Singh was arrested in Udaipur while Malani in Beawar.
“From the conversation on these numbers, it appears that attempts are being made to topple the government, and preparations were completed before the Rajya Sabha elections. In the conversation, it is said that the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are having a fight; in such a situation, the ruling party MLAs and independent MLAs can be broken away to topple the government and a new CM will be put in place,” stated the FIR.
'Who doesn't want to be Chief Minister?'
On Saturday, Ashok Gehlot responded saying, "Who doesn't want to be Chief Minister? In our side, there will be five to seven candidates who are capable and talented but only one person can be CM. When one becomes CM, everyone else goes quiet."
He further alleged that amid the coronavirus pandemic, BJP leaders have "gone beyond humanity" and are engaged in toppling his government, but exuded confidence that the Congress dispensation will complete its five-year term.
He said that BJP leaders have "crossed the limit of shamelessness" and were doing politics like "bakra-mandi" (goat-market).
The Rajasthan police issued notices to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot on Saturday to record their statement in connection with the alleged attempts to topple their Congress government, reported PTI quoting sources. The police's special operations group (SOG) also sent a notice to Government Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi to record his statement.
Congress MLAs writes a letter
MLAs Lakhan Singh Meena, Joginder Singh Awana, Mukesh Bhakar, Vedprakash Solanki, Harish Meena, Ashok Bairwa, Prashant Bairwa and Shakuntala Rawat were among the 20 signatories. Government Chief Whip of Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi had also written to the Anti-Corruption Bureau before the Rajya Sabha elections stating “dirty attempts that being made (by the BJP) to lure our MLAs and independent MLAs supporting us, along the lines of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, to destabilise a democratically elected government which is dedicated to public service.”
Despite these, the MLAs asserted that the Congress government will complete its five-year-term and will form the government in 2023 state Assembly elections.
What the opposition says
State BJP president Satish Poonia hit back saying that the party was trying to divert the public’s attention from its ‘mismanagement’ of the Covid-19 crisis and it was a reflection of the internal tussle within the Congress Party.
“After failing to handle the Covid-19 crisis and being unsuccessful in every front of governance since the past one-and-half-years, the Congress is now blaming us with baseless allegations to divert the attention of the public. It actually reflects the internal feud within the Congress party and how they don’t trust their own MLAs,” Poonia said.