‘BJP leadership conspiring to topple Ashok Gehlot government’, Rajasthan Congress raises alarm

Rajasthan: Congress MLAs have claimed that the BJP leadership is trying to topple the Ashok Gehlot government. (file pic)

Rajasthan Government News: The ruling Congress in Rajasthan has made a sensational claim that the opposition BJP was again making efforts to topple the Ashok Gehlot government. Twenty four Congress MLAs on Friday issued a joint statement wherein they alleged that the saffron party’s top leadership is directly involved in a larger conspiracy to dethrone the Congress by luring the ruling party MLAs.

The MLAs didn’t name anyone, but said the BJP leadership is trying to ‘mislead the Congress and supporting party MLAs by contacting and luring them in different manners”. The statement by the 24 MLAs was signed by chief whip Mahesh Joshi and deputy chief whip Mahendra Chaudhary.

“But Congress MLAs and legislators who are in support of the government will not let this attempt be successful,” said the statement.

The MLAs underlined that similar unsuccessful attempts of poaching the supporting MLAs were made during the Rajya Sabha polls last month.

“The BJP is once again conspiring to weaken and topple the democratically-elected government in Rajasthan,” the said.

“Such forces will be defeated,” the MLAs said, adding that no one can shake their integrity by giving any temptation.

“The Congress government in Rajasthan will complete its five-year term,” the statement noted.

The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly has 200 seats. The Congress has 107 MLAs and enjoys the support of independent MLAs and MLAs of other parties like Rashtriya Lok Dal, CPI (M) and Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP). The BJP has 72 MLAs.

The development comes close on the heels of alleged attempts made by the BJP to poach Congress and other MLAs ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections last month. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and government chief whip Mahesh Joshi had alleged that the BJP was trying to poach ruling MLAs to destabilise the government and win two seats. Mahesh Joshi had also filed complaints to special operations group (SOG) and the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) of Rajasthan Police, demanding inquiry and actions in the attempts.

Both the Congress and BJP fielded two candidates each for the three Rajya Sabha seats. The Congress won two seats while the BJP settled with the remaining one.