'Rajya Sabha polls were postponed because...': Amid poaching attempts by BJP, Gehlot's huge allegation

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday slammed the BJP and said that the Rajya Sabha elections could have been conducted two months back, but were postponed for "no reason but to let BJP complete the horse-trading."

The Congress has accused the BJP of trying to poach ruling party MLAs ahead of the June 19 Rajya Sabha polls.

"The Rajya Sabha elections could've been conducted two months back, but they were postponed for no reason but to give the BJP time to complete horse-trading," Gehlot said while addressing the media along with Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and senior party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala.

"We are united. Not a single vote of our MLAs will go to anyone else in the Rajya Sabha elections and our two candidates will emerge victorious. Two CPI-M MLAs will support us in the election," said Gehlot.

Surjewala, who is party's e;election observer for the Rajya Sabha poll, slammed the BJP and said that the people of Rajasthan and the legislators in the state will give the party a "befitting reply" in the forthcoming elections.

"Is stealing the mandate of people, is stealing the majority given by people of the state, is attempt at defections through an engineered premeditated conspiracy, exercise of democratic right?" Surjewala asked. 

"Does the BJP have the number of elected legislators to elect two MPs? In Rajya Sabha elections other than for Independent candidates everybody has to show his or her vote to a designated person by the party as per the Constitution of India. The people of Rajasthan and the legislators of Rajasthan will give you a befitting reply by decisively defeating your conspiracies and your attempt at denigrating democracy," he added.

Pilot had on Thursday expressed confidence of winning the seats and said that their candidates will win.

"Our party, MLAs from supporting parties and independent MLAs who are supporting us, all are united. We have more than the required number for the majority. Our Rajya Sabha candidates Neeraj Dangi and KC Venugopal will win," said Pilot.

Congress Chief Whip in the state Assembly Mahesh Joshi had on Wednesday written to the Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) alleging that attempts were being made to destabilise the State Government by luring his party`s MLAs and independent MLAs who support the Government.

Gehlot and nearly 100 Congress and independent MLAs stayed overnight at a resort on the Delhi-Jaipur highway where they have been moved to foil the BJP's alleged poaching attempts. They are likely to be moved to a five-star hotel. 

For three Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan, the Congress has fielded two candidates, while two BJP nominees have also filed the papers.

While the Congress, with its 107 MLAs in the house of 200 members, has more than enough majority for the victory of both of its candidates, the BJP would need support from independents and cross-voting from Congress legislators to win two seats. 

The BJP has 72 MLAs and enjoys the support of three Rashtriya Loktantrik Party MLAs. There are 13 Independent MLAs in the state out of which 12 support the Gehlot government.