BTP whip for MLAs in Rajasthan: Abstain from voting

Amid the political tussle in Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Tribal Party has issued a letter to its two MLAs, asking them not to vote for either Congress or Bharatiya Janata Party, in the event of a floor test.

Maheshbhai C Vasava, the national president of BTP wrote to two of the party MLAs in Rajasthan, saying, "You will neither vote for Congress nor vote for BJP. Neither you will vote for Ashok Gehlot and nor you will vote for Sachin Pilot in the floor test." "If you will go against the party whip, strict against will be taken against you," the letter read.

These two MLAs had earlier supported the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government in the state.

While the two MLAs will abstain in the event of a trust vote in the assembly, it is, however, not a withdrawal of support.

The crisis in Rajasthan Congress has intensified over the past few days with the differences between Gehlot and Pilot coming out in the open.

Gehlot has accused the BJP of trying to destabilise the state government by trying to poach MLAs.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said that a Congress Legislative Party meet will be held on Tuesday in Jaipur again and invited Pilot, along with the other MLAs with him, to be a part of it.

"To discuss the political situation, another CLP meet will be held here at 10 am tomorrow. We request Sachin Pilot and all MLAs to come, we will also give them in writing. We have requested them to come and discuss the situation," Surjewala told reporters.

The Congress MLAs were taken to Hotel Fairmont in Jaipur after the CLP meeting at Gehlot's residence held earlier on Monday.

Twenty MLAs, including Pilot, did not attend the CLP meeting held at the residence of Gehlot on Monday amid the political crisis in the state, according to sources.

The sources close to Pilot said that if the chief minister has the numbers as claimed then why not do a headcount and take the MLAs to the state governor, instead of moving them to a hotel. They, however, said he is not joining the BJP.