By PTI
JAIPUR: The BJP on Monday shifted most of its Rajasthan MLAs to a resort here for a “training camp” ahead of the Rajya Sabha election on June 10, days after a similar move by the state’s ruling Congress.
While some MLAs reached the resort at Jamdoli on the Jaipur-Agra highway on their own, others took the two buses provided for them at the party office in the city. Nearly 60 MLAs had reached the resort, a party leader said in the evening.
“This is a training camp in which the MLAs will be given training on the Rajya Sabha elections,” a party spokesperson said.
Senior leaders are expected to address sessions at the camp, apparently being held to keep the MLAs from being won over by the ruling party ahead of the election.
The Congress has already moved many of the party and independent MLAs to a hotel in Udaipur, saying it fears horse-trading by the BJP.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held a meeting with the legislators and asked them to stay united. The Congress has fielded three candidates from the state for the Rajya Sabha polls. The BJP nominated one candidate and is backing media baron Subhash Chandra as an independent.
Congress sources said more than 100 MLAs, including 12 of the 13 independents, are present at the hotel in Udaipur. All three of its candidates, Mukul Wasnik, Randeep Surjewala and Pramod Tiwari, are also present there.
Former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, meanwhile, reached Sriganganagar from New Delhi by train and was given a grand welcome by party workers and local people. From there, he went to Punjab to meet singer Sidhu Moosewala’s family members.
Moosewala was shot dead by assailants on May 29. Pilot then left for New Delhi again. He had gone to the national capital on Friday.
With the Rajya Sabha election date closing in, Director General (DG) of Anti-Corruption Bureau B L Soni held a meeting with officers and directed them to stay alert to check attempts at horse-trading.
The meeting followed the government’s chief whip and cabinet minister Mahesh Joshi writing to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against alleged attempts at horse-trading.
An ACB spokesperson said the complaint by the chief whip was registered for inquiry, and the matter has been handed over to ACB SP-I Yogesh Dadhich.
“There are possibilities of horse-trading. So, I have submitted a written complaint to the ACB to remain alert and to make such attempts unsuccessful,” Joshi said after filing the complaint on Sunday.
The Congress with its 108 MLAs in the state assembly is set to win two seats.
After winning the two spots, the Congress will have 26 surplus votes, 15 short of the required 41 to win a third seat. The BJP has 71 MLAs in the state Assembly, enough to get one seat in the Rajya Sabha this time.
After that it will be left with 30 surplus votes. Congress leaders claim the support of 126 MLAs, including 108 from the party itself. The party needs 123 MLAs to win three seats.
