Rajasthan: Disgruntled Congress MLAs meet CM Gehlot, accompany him to Udaipur hotel

A group of Congress MLAs, who had expressed resentment towards the party and the Rajasthan government, met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at his residence late on Saturday night and held discussions. BSP turned Congress MLAs Rajendra Gudha, Sandeep Yadav, Wajib Ali, and Lakhan Meena, as well as Girraj Singh Malinga, and Khiladi Lal Bairwa met Gehlot.

Discussions were held on matters related to the MLAs and the Rajya Sabha biennial elections. The MLAs left for Udaipur along with the Chief Minister on Sunday.

Gehlot reached the lake city to meet the rest of the party MLAs and Independents who have been housed in a hotel amid fears of horse-trading ahead of the Rajya Sabha election on June 10.

At present, around 90 MLAs, including 11 of the 13 Independents, are lodged in a hotel in Udaipur. The Chief Minister was scheduled to visit Udaipur on Saturday but the tour was postponed.

Rajya Sabha elections

The Congress has a total of 108 MLAs, including six BSP legislators who had merged with the party. Of the six, only one was present in Udaipur while the rest had stayed back in Jaipur, expressing resentment towards the party and the government.

The Congress has fielded three candidates - Mukul Wasnik, Randeep Surjewala, and Pramod Tiwari, for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls. On the other hand, the BJP has nominated former minister Ghanshyam Tiwari and supported media baron Subhash Chandra, who filed a nomination as an Independent candidate.

Congress leaders claim the support of 126 MLAs, including 108 of the party. It requires a total of 123 votes to win three seats.

(With inputs from agency)