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One BTP MLA says he will back Cong, his party non-committal
Two BTP members were among 101 lawmakers, who attended the Congress legislative party meeting at a Jaipur hotel on Tuesday. They later left the hotel saying they would take a call on supporting a political party at an “appropriate” time.
The Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) is likely to support the Congress government in case of a floor test in the Rajasthan assembly following Sachin Pilot’s rebellion against chief minister Ashok Gehlot, two functionaries said on Wednesday.
Ramprasad Dindor, one of the two BTP lawmakers in the state, said they would support the Congress even as the party has asked them to stay neutral.
Velaram Goghra, BTP’s Rajasthan chief, said the party has been giving issue-based support to the Congress and if the government meets their demands, they will consider supporting it in case a floor test. He added BTP voted for the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections last month after the government promised to meet its demands.
Two BTP members were among 101 lawmakers, who attended the Congress legislative party meeting at a Jaipur hotel on Tuesday. They later left the hotel saying they would take a call on supporting a political party at an “appropriate” time.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 72 lawmakers in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly. Pilot’s camp has claimed to have the support of 22 legislators, including three independents.
Goghra said their demands include the implementation of the Maharashtra model for the development of tribal areas in Rajasthan. Under the model, funds for tribal development are given to a tribal commissioner instead of various departments.
“If Gehlot announces it as promised, then we can discuss with our high command and within the community and offer our support,” said Goghra. “Our accountability is to our people and whatever is in their interest, we will do. We need to have an understanding with the government to get benefits of schemes for our people.”
Rajkumar Roat, the second BTP lawmaker, whose videos surfaced on Tuesday in which he claimed police were harassing him, said the party will take the final decision on supporting the Congress in a floor test.
On Wednesday, Roat said he was not harassed. “...I had put out the videos, the incident was true but it was a case of mistaken identity by police. They did not recognise me,” he said.
Roat on Tuesday said police snatched keys to his car and that he was under detention and several people were asking him to go with them.
Pilot’s social media team circulated Roat’s video to highlight how the government was harassing lawmakers. The BJP, too, cited the videos to claim the government was intimidating the lawmakers.
