Vasundhara Raje asked Congress MLAs to support Ashok Gehlot: BJP ally

An MP of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, Hanuman Beniwal, in a tweet has alleged that Vasundhara Raje, who is a prominent leader of the BJP in Rajasthan, is trying to sabotage the rebel Congress camp in their internal battle of power.

"Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has called up Congress MLAs close to her and asked them to support Ashok Gehlot. She has called each and every Jat MLA in Sikar and Nagaur and asked them to keep distance from Sachin Pilot, I have proof of this," Hanuman Beniwal, who represents Nagaur constituency in the Parliament, wrote in a Hindi tweet.

Speaking to NDTV, Beniwal said: "Her family members and close aides have said she is helping Gehlot, so we won't help you because Ashok ji's sarkar (government) won't collapse."

Hanuman Beniwal is a known Vasundhara Raje critic. He had quit the BJP just before the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly Election, in which the Congress emerged victorious.

Reacting to his allegation, Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Punia urged Beniwal to refrain from making such statements.

"Our leaders spoke to him. Vasundhara Raje is our respected leader," Punia was quoted as saying in media.

The BJP has been a silent spectator of the embroiled political situation in Rajasthan.

The saffron league, which has 73 MLAs, needs the support of another 35 to form government in Rajasthan.

In fact, a BJP meeting scheduled on Tuesday, that reports said Vasundhara Raje was to attend, was cancelled.

Amid speculations over Pilot's joining in the BJP, the 42-year old Congress leader had earlier ruled out such a possibility.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan High Court has asked Pilot and his 18 loyalists to file a fresh petition against Assembly Speaker CP Joshi's disqualification notice, which was served to the politicians for "anti-party activities", on Friday.

The Congress' political crisis in the desert state entered into the courtroom after the 19 rebel MLAs including Pilot on Thursday challenged Joshi's disqualification order.

If 19 Congress MLAs are indeed disqualified, proving the majority in the house will just be a cakewalk for Gehlot as the majority mark will immediately come down.

However, the Congress has still kept its door open for Pilot, the architect of Congress' victory in the 2018 assembly polls, amid reports claiming the former Union Minister may also float his own party.