Mayawati’s party whip to 6 Rajasthan turncoat MLAs over Rajya Sabha polls
India Today
BSP issued a whip to six Rajasthan MLAs who had won on BSP party symbol but later defected to Congress, asking them to vote for an independent candidate in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
The Rajasthan Bahujan Samaj Party has issued a whip to six MLAs, who were elected on a BSP ticket but later defected to Congress, asking them to vote for Independent candidate Subhash Chandra who is in the fray for the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections from the state.
BSP state president Bhagwan Singh Baba, in a letter, stated the six MLAs had won their seats in the 2018 state polls on BSP symbol and "are bound to work as per the party whip".
The six MLAs include - Rajendra Gudha, Lakhan Meena, Deepchand Kheria, Sandeep Kumar, Joginder Singh Awana and Wajib Ali.
"The BSP does not agree with the policies of the Congress and the BJP, and therefore opposes their candidates. The party has issued a whip directing the MLAs to vote for the Independent candidate," he said, adding appropriate action will be taken if the whip is violated.
The six candidates had won the 2018 assembly elections as BSP candidates, but merged with the ruling Congress party in September 2019.
The election to the four seats of Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan will take place on June 10.
The Congress has shifted many of its MLAs and Independents to a hotel in Udaipur to protect them from horse trading. Of the six BSP turned Congress MLAs, only one -- Joginder Awana -- is in the camp in Udaipur.
