Satish Poonia. (File)The BJP on Thursday summoned four party MLAs in Rajasthan who missed the Motion of Confidence moved by the ruling Congress in the Assembly on August 14, and sought an explanation for their absence.
The MLAs met Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria and state party president Satish Poonia.
All four MLAs — Gopi Chand Meena, Kailash Chandra Meena, Harendra Ninama, and Gotam Lal — confirmed to The Indian Express that they were initially present in the Assembly, but left after it was adjourned till 1 pm.
The four were among the 18 BJP MLAs who were sent to Gujarat in the run-up to the Assembly session.
State BJP state chief Poonia said, “Apparently it was nothing serious but their absence counts. So I will have a meeting with the Leader of Opposition and we will decide (what to do next) and the intensity (of action).”
Explaining why he left, Gopi Chand Meena, MLA from Aspur (in Dungarpur district) said: “At the legislature party meet on August 13, it had been decided that the party will bring a Motion of No Confidence and all of us had signed for it. However, when we met in the Assembly – around 9.30 am on August 14 – (Deputy Leader of Opposition) Rajendra Rathore told us that we are not moving the motion since the Congress factions have reunited, and that coronavirus will be discussed in the Assembly.”
Meena said he was unwell, suffering from diarrhoea since August 7 and had to be admitted at a community health centre. “Constant travel ensured that I did not get proper rest. I was unwell even on August 13,” he said. Meena said his constituency is 500 km from Jaipur, and travel within Gujarat by road and then back to Jaipur by road worsened his health.
“I was in Assembly until 11.45 am that day but…had to visit the toilet frequently, so I left for the MLA quarters, as I was told that nothing would happen in the Assembly,” he said. “I took medicine, put my phone on silent, and went to sleep. Poonia-ji called me up around 4 pm and asked about my whereabouts.”
Meena, 58, RSS worker for long who has held various posts in the BJP, said he is saddened by questions being raised about his absence. “God is my witness. When there is suspicion, it makes us sad. I am a farmer’s son and have devoted all my life to the party; I have been associated with it since I was 22. But yes, I do accept that I made a mistake by leaving the House that day on account of my health.”
Kailash Chandra, MLA from Garhi (Banswara), said: “My car was undergoing repair at a workshop in Jhotwara (Jaipur). My driver didn’t have the money (to pay for the work), so when the House was adjourned I left for the workshop in an autorickshaw. I did not realise I will get stuck due to torrential rain.”
Jaipur saw unprecedented rain on August 14 – as a result, even buses carrying Congress MLAs got stuck and the legislators reached the Assembly late.
“I was constantly in touch with Kataria-ji and Poonia-ji that day,” he said.
Ghatol (Banswara) MLA Harendra Ninama said he was supposed to attend an Independence Day programme in his constituency the following day. “Party workers in the constituency had urged me to be present. So when the Assembly was adjourned until 1 pm, I left for my constituency. It takes around 9-10 hours (by road), since it is 500 km from Jaipur.”
The fourth legislator who skipped the confidence motion, Gotam Lal from Dhariawad (Pratapgargh), also left for his constituency when the Assembly was adjourned. “The party decided not to move a no-confidence motion. The Congress factions had (also) reunited, so there was nothing much left. Moreover, the weekend was arriving and I had to be in my constituency for Independence Day. So after the House was adjourned, I returned to the MLA quarters, had lunch and left for Pratapgarh.”
He also said it is “not advisable” to undertake the journey at night, especially in a small car, “so I left during day even though it was raining heavily.”
Following a month long political uncertainty in Rajasthan after rebellion by former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs, who subsequently reunited with the Ashok Gehlot camp, the Congress moved a confidence motion on August 14 and won it through a voice vote.
The rebellion in the state Congress had also brought out factionalism within the BJP’s state unit, with former CM Vasundhara Raje maintaining a long silence and her loyalist, former Speaker Kailash Meghwal, issuing a statement against horse trading. Subsequently, the party sent 18 MLAs to Gujarat claiming that the ruling Congress was putting pressure on them through the police.