6 Rajasthan BJP MLAs flock to Gujarat ahead of Aug 14 assembly session

Six Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs from Rajasthan arrived in Gujarat on Saturday (August 8), days ahead of the Assembly session scheduled on August 14 in their home state, as they were allegedly being harassed by the Ashok Gehlot government.

Some more BJP MLAs from the desert state will arrive in Gujarat, said Nirmal Kumawat, a saffron party legislator, while speaking to reporters after arriving in the BJP-ruled state. He said the Congress government in Rajasthan was “harassing” opposition MLAs, and that they were here on a pilgrimage to Somnath to seek mental peace.

“There have been political developments in Rajasthan for the last one month due to factionalism in the Congress. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot lacks majority. He is harassing and putting mental pressure on BJP MLAs using SOG (Special Operations Group) and departmental raids,” Kumawat alleged.

“In view of this, we decided to reduce our mental pain by paying a visit to Lord Somnath. We are here to save ourselves from the Congress government which is putting pressure on us to vote for it,” the BJP MLA added. Some more MLAs were also arriving in Gujarat as per the decision of the top BJP leadership, he said.

Another MLA in the group of six said they were likely to stay in Gujarat for two days. The six MLAs who had boarded the flight for Gujarat from the Jaipur airport on Saturday were Nirmal Kumawat, Gopichand Meena, Jabbar Singh Sankhla, Dharamveer Mochi, Gopal Lal Sharma and Gurudeep Singh Shahpini.

Congress MLAs are currently holed up in a Jaisalmer hotel as the party has accused the BJP of horse-trading following the revolt by Congress leader and now-sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs loyal to him.

(With inputs from agencies)