BJP MLAs wait in a bus outside the party office in Jaipur on Tuesday before they were taken to a hotel, ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled on June 19. (Express photo by Rohit Jain Paras)
The BJP moved its MLAs to a hotel on Tonk Road on Tuesday, ahead of Rajya Sabha elections on June 19.
BJP state president Satish Poonia said that unlike the Congress, the BJP shifted its MLAs for training purposes. “It was decided long ago, and we are not doing baarebandi (fencing) for 10-15 days. Our legislative party meet was already scheduled for 11 am on 16th (June). And there are several MLAs who will vote (in RS polls) for the first time. Several times there has been cross-voting in the state due to confusion. So I feel it is important to train them,” Poonia told the media here.
“Simultaneously, our month-long Atmanirbhar campaign is running, so we will also talk about organisational work. Also, there is need to properly train some new people in legislative work,” Poonia said, dismissing claims that the BJP feared poaching of its MLAs and was thus shifting its MLAs.
“We will not indulge in fun and frolic at a resort and musical evenings — there have been more than 300 coronavirus deaths and the government is enjoying there, it means the government is insecure. We are not ‘herding’ our MLAs — we will talk about issues and train them,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s achievements and local issues of MLAs will also be discussed “properly”.
The BJP MLAs were taken to Crowne Plaza on Tonk road, while Congress MLAs and their supporting MLAs are at JW Marriott on Delhi road.
Poonia distanced himself from horse-trading allegations by the Congress, saying that “no MLA in Rajasthan is for sale. Maybe they are for sale as per them, but not as per us, be it an MLA of any party”.
“People are asking me if the government will fall. We don’t need to; it will fall due to its own actions,” he said.
The Congress is expected to win two seats in the Rajya Sabha while the BJP is expected to win one seat.