Vasundhara Raje helping Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, says BJP ally Beniwal

BJP ally Hanuman Beniwal said “relatives close to the MLAs [members of legislative assembly] told us that they were initially with Pilot but Raje called them and asked them to distance themselves from Pilot,” he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally Hanuman Beniwal, who heads the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), on Thursday accused former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje of rallying Congress lawmakers in support of chief minister Ashok Gehlot, whose government is battling a rebellion from his former deputy, Sachin Pilot.

A BJP leader said there was no basis for Hanuman Beniwal’s statement on Vasundhara Raje. (Himanshu Vyas/HT File Photo)

“Relatives close to the MLAs [members of legislative assembly] told us that they were initially with Pilot but Raje called them and asked them to distance themselves from Pilot,” he said.

BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria said, “There is no basis for this.” Kataria said he is in touch with Raje, who is currently in Dholpur, and she will be present in Jaipur when required.