Political / RS polls were postponed as BJP's horse-trading was not complete: Raj CM

Jaipur: Accusing the BJP of trying to destabilise the Congress government in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said the Rajya Sabha elections could’ve been conducted two months back, “but it was postponed for no reason because BJP’s horse-trading was not complete.”

Rajya Sabha elections are scheduled for three seats in the state as BJP’s Rajya Sabha members Ram Narain Dudi, Vijay Goel and Narayan Lal Panchariya retired on April 9. Voting was scheduled for March 26 but was postponed in light of the coronavirus lockdown. It will now take place on June 19 and counting will be held at 5 pm the same day.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Congress in Rajasthan claimed that attempts are being made to destabilise “a democratically elected government” by luring MLAs, even as the party shifted at least 107 Congress and independent MLAs to a resort on the outskirts of Jaipur.

In a letter to Alok Tripathi, Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau, Government Chief Whip in Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi wrote that he has come to know that “dirty attempts are being made to lure our MLAs and independent MLAs supporting us, along the lines of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, to destabilise a democratically elected government which is dedicated to public service”.