The move provides a relief to the Congress that was precariously settled on the halfway mark fearing a Karnataka like coup in its ranks.
Giving a major shot in the arm to a dwindling Congress, all six MLAs of the Bahujan Samaj Party in Rajasthan joined the party raising its strength to 106 in the 200 member assembly.
The move provides a relief to the Congress that was precariously settled on the halfway mark fearing a Karnataka like coup in its ranks.
The defection, that is yet to be cleared by the Speaker, is set to make the Congress upbeat before the important upcoming local body elections in the state. The MLAs, who were in touch with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, met Speaker CP Joshi and submitted a letter informing him about their decision. With all six defecting to the Congress, the MLAs do not face the stick of anti-defection law.
No pre-conditions were put by the defecting BSP MLAs – Rajendra Guda, Jogendra Singh Awana, Wajib Ali, Lakhan Singh Meena, Sandeep Yadav, Deepchand Kheria – as they all came on their own to the Congress party, claimed deputy CM Sachin Pilot.
"We took a decision in order to fight against communal forces and to work for the development of the state and stability of the government. Ashok Ji is the best CM and no one can be better than him for Rajasthan. I was impressed with his style of working and polity," Rajendra Guda reportedly told as saying.
The move, however, came as a huge setback to the BSP supremo Mayawati, who vent out her fury in tweets calling Congress a cheat that can never be relied upon.
"The Congress party in Rajasthan, by creating a split among the BSP MLAs, has once again proved that it is untrustworthy and a cheat," lashed out Mayawati adding that "the Congress, instead of fighting its bitter rivals, always harms the parties that support it".
"The Congress has always been against BR Ambedkar and his ideology. That is why he had to resign as the country's first law minister. The Congress never honoured him with a Bharat Ratna, which is sad and shameful," Mayawati further said.
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