In a fresh development that is likely to worry the Congress further, the Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) on Wednesday night issued a whip to its two MLAs directing them to not take part in voting in the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections.
The whip came a day after the BTP MLAs announced support to the Congress after meeting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Udaipur.
BTP state president Velaram Ghoghra said that the MLAs have been directed through the whip to refrain from voting in Rajya Sabha elections.
"Our MLAs supported the (Congress) party during the political crisis in 2020. The party had given representations to CM with our demands but nothing happened. Therefore, it was directed to the MLAs to refrain from voting,” Ghoghra said.
Reacting to the development, BTP MLA Rajkumar Roat said that it was decided to support the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections after consultation with the party leaders and workers, but now the state president has issued the whip on his own.
"We got the information that the state president has issued a whip. Discussions with the party leaders and workers were held before the decision to support the Congress was taken. Since the Congress party is in power, our demands which are related to tribal people and development of the area can only be fulfilled by it and hence we had decided to announce support for the ruling party candidates in the RS elections,” Mr. Roat said.
“We (MLAs) will hold discussion with the party leaders and workers tomorrow to decide further course of action,” he said.
