After completing the ‘badabandi’ preparations at a 7-star hotel in the Lake City of Udaipur, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday lashed out that despite having a poor majority of its MLAs in assembly for the IInd candidate, the Opposition BJP was making all efforts for horse-trading or poaching of MLAs to win the two out of four Rajya Sabha seats slated for a poll on June 10.

“Our preparations for the RS elections are complete as 126 MLAs out of 200 legislators in the state assembly are with us”, Gehlot told the media at Udaipur while coming out of the hotel after 6 days, though MLA stayed since June 2.

“BJP sponsored Subhash Chandra intentionally came to the poll fray here as an independent. Didn’t understand it. These people don’t have a majority. BJP is making all efforts for horse-trading. We have got the full support of all Congress and independent MLAs. All three Congress candidates will win. Despite failing in horse-trading, BJP people are sometimes complaining to the ED and sometimes to the Election Commission”. Gehlot alleged

Gehlot said, ” Everyone knows that when the government was in crisis in the past in 2020, then crores of rupees were being talked about. Even then these people failed. Today they should try to save Rajasthan, but BJP people are destroying democracy. Breaking democracy is a danger bell for the country”.

On the suspension of BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expulsion of Naveen Kumar on alleged communal comments, when asked for his reaction, Gehlot rapped, ” This has been done to show the public. The world is watching all this. They should be worried about the country. Comments about religion in the country will continue like this. They will destroy the honor and respect of 70 years”.

“For how long, will the people of BJP do politics in the name of Hindu-Muslim? This is worrying all over the country. Diverting issues like inflation. The reality is that mutual tensions are increasing continuously in the country. Where has peace and harmony been?”, he added.

By Thursday evening, all the MLAs are likely to be shifted to Jaipur so that they could cast their vote on June 10.

In the House of 200 MLAs, now the ruling Congress has estimated open support of its 109 MLAs including support of one RLD, 13 Independents, and two BTP. Whereas BJP has a total of 71 MLAs, and RLP 3 so far.

Four sitting RS MPs (all BJP) would complete their term on July 4. BJP’s Om Prakash Mathur, K J Alphons, Ramkumar Verma, and Harshvardhan Singh Dungarpur will retire on RS seats (from Rajasthan).

Congress’ three, BJP’s one and Independent one are in the poll fray for 4 seats, and to win all four have to secure 41 votes in first preference. BJP’s 65 MLAs are having ‘badabandi’ at a resort in Jaipur, while Congress’ all MLAs, three contestants, and other supporting MLAs have been staying at a 7-star hotel in Udaipur for the last five days.