Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday accused the BJP of trying to topple the Congress government in the state and said that at least 20 Congress MLAs were offered money to switch sides. Addressing a press conference in Jaipur, Gehlot claimed that the state BJP president Satish Poonia and former minister Rajendra Rathore were playing the game to topple his government while his focus remained coronavirus pandemic.
"Whether it is Satish Poonia or Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, they are playing games to topple our govt on behest of their central leadership. They are offering Rs 10 cr in advance & Rs 15 cr after govt is toppled... these are the kind of promises they are making," Gehlot said.
The Rajasthan chief minister claimed that the conspiracy was being hatched at the behest of the central leadership of the BJP and that this wasn't the case during former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time.
"We must focus on fighting coronavirus and that is what we are doing but they (BJP) are trying to de-stabilise the government. It wasn't so during Vajpayee ji's time but after 2014 there is pride & division on basis of religion," he told reporters.
Gehlot, however, expressed confidence in having enough numbers and said that his government will complete its full five-year term despite efforts from the BJP to destablise it.
"They used to speak of 'Congress Mukt Bharat' but now they are afraid of Congress. Government is stable in Rajasthan, it will complete its full term. We are engaged in preparations to win the next election," Ashok Gehlot added.
BJP terms it drama
Reacting Gehlot's allegations of horse-trading, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, an MP from Jodhpur said that the Rajasthan CM was shooting off BJP's shoulders to corner his deputy Sachin Pilot.
"Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot is actor, villain & scriptwriter of this film. He is shooting off BJP's shoulders to corner his party's (state) president (Sachin Pilot). I demand that he makes it public as to how many Congress MLAs, he thinks, are on sale," ANI quoted Shekhawat as saying.
