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‘20-25 MLAs unhappy… government may fall’: BJP on flurry in Rajasthan Congress
The unrest in the party started after the May 23 Lok Sabha results in which PM Modi-led NDA stormed to power bagging 352 of the 542 LoK Sabha seats.
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Rajasthan BJP leaders on Tuesday added to the uncertainty surrounding the state Congress, with two ministers reportedly seeking ‘accountability’ for the Lok Sabha poll debacle, by saying that several ruling party MLAs were ‘unhappy’ and the government ‘might fall’.
“I have heard that the BSP MLAs here are unhappy and so are 20-25 Congress MLAs. I don’t want to comment further on this,” said Gyandev Ahuja, Rajasthan BJP vice president, according to news agency ANI, on the day CM Ashok Gehlot and Deputy CM Sachin Pilot met party president Rahul Gandhi to sort out the rumblings in the state unit.
Another BJP leader Bhawani Singh Rajawat said the “condition of Congress in the state is such that we don’t need to work hard, Congress itself is making efforts to topple its own govt. I think if resignations continue the day is not far when Congress will become minority & govt might fall,” ANI reported.
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The unrest in the party started after the May 23 Lok Sabha results in which PM Modi-led NDA stormed to power bagging 352 of the 542 LoK Sabha seats. For Congress it was a double blow as the party failed to cash in on the recent assembly wins in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh drawing a zero out of 25 in first and just one out of 29 in the second state. In Chhattisgarh, the party managed two of the 11 Lok Sabha seats.
On Sunday evening, an alleged resignation of agriculture minister Lal Chand Kataria circulated on social media. In the letter on a plain paper, titled press release, it stated “taking moral responsibility of the party defeat”, “resign from cabinet”. However, the confirmation of the same could not be received from the CM or governor’s office.
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Thereafter news in an English daily reported statements of cooperative minister Udai Lal Anjana and food and civil supply minister Ramesh Meena demanding “introspection and accountability” of the LS results. “There should be deliberations and introspections. The results should not be taken lightly. What Gandhi has stated should not go in vain, so that the party does not suffer such a defeat in the future,” Meena reportedly said. Whereas Anjana said the ticket distribution in Rajasthan was not up to the mark.
On Monday, the BSP MLAs sought time to meet the governor but the appointment was withdrawn. The development led to speculations of BSP withdrawing support to the government. “We have postponed the meeting with the governor as one of the MLA could not manage to be present,” said Sandeep Kumar, BSP MLA from Tijara (Alwar). “BSP’s support to the Congress government is continuing and will continue,” said BSP MLA Wajib Ali, adding, it was to be a courtesy meeting and some general issues were to be discussed with the governor, but was cancelled as one of the MLAs could not reach.
