The Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Tuesday hit out at Congress and called it “unreliable” and “cheat” after all six MLAs of her party in Rajasthan joined the Ashok Gehlot government on Monday.
She poured her anger on Twitter and wrote about the issue in a series of tweets.
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She said, “Congress party’s government in Rajasthan has once again proven that it is an unreliable and cheater party by poaching the BSP MLAs. This is betrayal of the BSP movement by the Congress, which is done again when BSP was giving it unconditonal support from outside.”
She added, “Instead of fighting with its arch rivals, the Congress everywhere always damages the parties that have helped and supported it. Hence, Congress is against Dalits, STs and OBCs and has been non-serious and honest towards the rights of downtrodden.”
Mayawati further said, “The Congress has always been against BR Ambedkar and his ideology. That is why Ambedkar had to resign as the country’s first law minister. The Congress never honoured him with a Bharatratna, which is sad and shameful.”
Mayawati’s party’s all six members of the Rajasthan Assembly wrote to the Speaker C P Joshi and requested him to merge the legislative party with the Congress. With all six joining the Congress, they have bypassed the anti-defection law.
MLAs Rajendra Singh Gudha, Jogendra Singh Awana, Wajib Ali, Lakhan Singh Meena, Sandeep Yadav and Deepchand said that they are joining the Congress. The move is significant just two months ahead of local body elections due in November.
“All the six BSP MLAs were in constant touch with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and today they have come into the fold of the Congress,” a Congress leader said.
Nadbai MLA Jogendra Singh Awana said that it was difficult for them to support Congress from outside.
“We have given our resignations letter and also met CP Joshi ji and Ashok ji today. There were several challenges in front of us. On one hand, we were supporting Congress for the development of the state and on the other; we were fighting against them in elections. We all gave a thought to it. We took a decision in favour of the state,” he said.
The Congress won the Rajasthan Assembly elections last year with 100 seats and its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has one MLA. The Congress has also the outside support of 12 out of total 13 independent MLAs as well as the BSP’s six MLAs. The 12 independent MLAs had joined Congress in March.
Mayawati and Congress have strained relations since the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 when she formed her alliance with Samajwadi Party and excluded the Congress, in Uttar Pradesh from the Mahagathbandhan, and during campaigns criticized the Congress and equated it with BJP.
