E-Paper
Rajasthan: Congress recommends action against MLA Solanki for cross-voting
A senior leader familiar with the development said the state party chief has forwarded the recommendation to the party leadership for necessary action
The Rajasthan Congress Committee has forwarded the recommendation of the observer appointed for the election of Jaipur Zila Pramukh post suggesting action against party MLA from Chaksu Ved Prakash Solanki to the party high command.
The observer in his report to state party chief Govind Singh Dotasra has held Solanki responsible for the partynot being able to win the post of Jaipur Zila Pramukh.
Senior Congress leader and observer for Jaipur Zila Parishad polls Mumtaz Massih blamed Solanki for the cross-voting. “We have submitted our detailed report with facts and have recommended strict action against Solanki. He betrayed the party,” said Massih.
A senior leader familiar with the development said the state party chief has forwarded the recommendation to the party leadership for necessary action.
The Congress in Jaipur, despite receiving the mandate in the Zila Parishad polls with 27 seats and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) settling with 24, lost the post of Pramukh as two of the ruling Congress candidates switched sides. The two belonged to Chaksu assembly constituency, where Solanki, who is considered close to Sachin Pilot, is the MLA.
Reacting to the charges, Solanki has stated that this is a conspiracy to malign the image of Pilot. “I take responsibility, as for cross voting it is the MLA who is responsible. But has cross voting happened only in Jaipur? What about Bharatpur, Dausa, Nagaur etc, everyone should take the responsibility and punishment should be for all,” he said.
Solanki said he had urged the state party chief and election in-charge to confine the party candidates at one place to avoid horse trading but nothing was done. “The election management and coordination should have been effective. I was continuously saying that our people aren’t working properly. There was no organisation –everyone was campaigning in the election but none from our side. There was no planning,” he said.
A senior MLA close to Pilot said cross-voting had happened in other districts too, including that of the state party chief. “The entire plot is to dent Pilot’s image,” he said.
Political analyst Manish Godha said Jaipur was not an isolated case of cross-voting because similar incidents took place in other districts. “But in Jaipur, Gehlot camp got an opportunity to target the Pilot camp, that too swiftly. Nobody knows what has happened. But the high command is informed that they (Pilot camp MLAs) haven’t changed,” he said.
The party leaders including CM Ashok Gehlot, Dotasra and the sports minister reacted sharply on cross-voting. The CM had stated that people involved in horse-trading are those who tried toppling the government earlier. State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra too said that it was the partymen who betrayed the party. “Democracy was dismantled, robbed, and a game of bribery played in the election of Zila Pramukh in Jaipur. It is our people who have betrayed the party. We are taking the report and those stabbed in the back will not be spared,” said Dotasra addressing newspersons on Monday. Commenting on the people who switched sides and action that will be taken them, Rajasthan sports minister Ashok Chandna on Tuesday called them traitors. “I have no complaints with BJP but there are some who are working for them while being in Congress. They have sold themselves to BJP and the intention is clearly visible on their face,” said Chandna.
