Jaipur, June 6: Even after moving its MLAs to a five-star hotel in Udaipur fearing poaching ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls, the ruling Congress in Rajasthan has approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau expressing apprehensions of horse-trading.
Rajasthan government’s chief whip and cabinet minister Dr Mahesh Joshi went to the ACB office on Sunday and gave a written complaint to DG-ACB B.L Soni requesting that a watch be kept on the people involved in horse-trading and if caught, strict action taken against under corruption.
Earlier too, during the political crisis in the state in 2020, there was an entry of Special Operations Group (SOG) and ACB in the case of alleged conspiracy to topple the government and horse-trading of MLAs. After a year-and-a-half, the Congress government has once again reached ACB, the corruption-fighting agency.
Joshi told media that as per sources, there may be use of money power in the ensuing polls which can weaken democracy. He also raised concerned over the fielding of an independent candidate Subhash Chandra in the contest who is being backed by BJP.
He further opined that MLAs can be brought to vote in support of an independent candidate only through horse trading. “In such a situation, being the chief whip of the government in the Legislative Assembly, it is my responsibility to alert the ACB and that’s why I have lodged a complaint with the ACB. (IANS)