Jaipur: At least 53 Rajasthan Congress MLAs supporting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the ongoing political tussle, were shifted from the Pink City to Jaisalmer on Friday. The MLAs, who were staying in Fairmount Hotel in the outskirts of Jaipur since weeks, left for the airport in the morning in private buses, amid tight security. As per a report, the Cabinet Ministers have been asked to remain in the state capital. Also, several others MLA will soon join others in Jaisalmer. Three Chartered fights took the Legislators to Jaisalmer, over 570 km away from Jaipur. Upon reaching Jaisalmer, with a brief stay at airport lobby, they were taken to Hotel Suryagarh, over nine km away from the airport, in luxury buses.
Hotel Suryagarh has been thoroughly inspected by Collector Ashish Modi and Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh earlier in the day. Also, the hotel is fortified with tight security arrangements. As per sources, the MLAs have been asked to stay in Jaisalmer till August 14, when the Assembly will begin. Neither the Chief Minister, nor any other senior party functionary have answered the sudden development. The MLAs in Gehlot camp also remained away from the media. On Thursday, Mr Gehlot held a Congress Legislative Party meeting inside the Fairmount Hotel in Jaipur and appealed to the Legislators to stay united.
The Chief Minister also told the press that he has full faith and no ''offer'' from BJP can take his supporters away. He alleged that the saffron party was continuously calling his MLAs over phone and offering "unlimited" money to resign from the Congress. So, shifting of the MLAs to Jaisalmer rose eyebrows. If the Chief Minister was so confident that his supporting MLAs will not leave him, then why was he shifting them to Jaisalmer, Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia questioned in a tweet written in Hindi. "It proves that he (Gehlot) does not trust the MLAs and his house is not in order," Mr Poonia stated. In a jibe against Mr Gehlot, the BJP president said, "Why don''t taken them to Pakistan.
It is very near to Jaisalmer. Also, why not carryout locust operation while staying in Jaisalmer?." Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has accepted the Gehlot-government request of bringing the Assembly in session from August 14 onwards. Mr Gehlot has categorically stated that he would go for a Floor Test. Retaining majority in the House is not only crucial for Mr Gehlot, who has been challenged by former chief minister Sachin Pilot, but also for the Congress, as it recently lost Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh in the same manner.
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