By PTI
JAIPUR: Congress MLA Divya Maderna on Tuesday called the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party a “B-team” of the BJP for supporting Independent candidate Subhash Chandra in the Rajya Sabha elections.
The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party is headed by Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal.
The party was earlier a coalition partner of the BJP-led NDA.
Beniwal had quit the grouping in protest against the Centre’s now-withdrawn farm laws.
Beniwal had announced support to Chandra on Monday.
Reacting to it, Osian Congress MLA Maderna tweeted on Monday night, “The RLP is the B-team of the BJP. This is an anti-farmer decision.”
Maderna tweeted that one of his party’s three candidates, Randeep Surjewala, is from farmers’ community and had Beniwal been farmer-friendly, he would have decided to vote in the Congress leader’s favour.
The elections to four seats of the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan will be held on June 10.
The Congress has fielded Mukul Wasnik, Randeep Surjewala and Pramod Tiwari while the BJP has fielded former minister Ghanshyam Tiwari.
The filing of nomination papers by media baron Chandra had prompted Congress to allege that the BJP wants to indulge in horse trading.
The allegations came as the ruling Congress in the state needs the support of Independent legislators and those belonging to other parties to win a third seat.
The Congress at present has 108 MLAs in the state Assembly and is set to win two of the four seats.
After winning two seats, Congress will have 26 surplus votes, 15 short of the required 41 to win the third seat.
On the other hand, the BJP has 71 MLAs in the state Assembly and set to win one seat, after which it will be left with 30 surplus votes.
