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BJP, Congress Sequester Rajasthan Councillors After Civic Polls
Rajasthan recently held elections for local city governments.
The BJP and Congress won many seats, but often neither party won enough to rule alone.
Independent councillors may therefore decide who becomes mayor or chairman.
Because local-election councillors are not protected by the anti-defection law, parties fear that some may change sides.
Both parties have taken many councillors to hotels or resorts.
Congress leaders say the BJP is trying to buy support and pressure councillors.
The BJP denies this and says people are choosing to join it freely.
The final local governments will depend on how councillors and independents vote.
The BJP and Congress have moved winning councillors to resorts as they compete to control Rajasthan’s local bodies.
The BJP won majorities in Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur and Bhilwara, while Congress won Bikaner and became the largest party in Pali and Ajmer.
Independents could determine control in several corporations, 27 of 47 municipal councils and 142 of 252 municipalities.
In Ajmer, Congress reportedly moved 37 councillors, while BJP councillors were housed in resorts in Jaipur and Jodhpur.
Congress leaders alleged horse-trading and police pressure, while the BJP called the accusations baseless and said police were investigating missing-person reports.
- Who
- The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Indian National Congress, independent councillors and local political leaders are involved.
- What
- The parties are housing councillors in resorts while seeking support to form municipal governments and elect mayors or chairmen.
- Where
- Across Rajasthan, including Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer.
- When
- The resort moves followed Rajasthan’s civic-poll results and occurred before local-government formations and leadership votes.
- Why
- The parties are trying to protect councillor support because many local bodies lack clear majorities and the anti-defection law does not apply to local-body elections.
Congress allegations
BJP response
Horse-trading
Congress allegations
Ashok Gehlot alleged that the BJP was trying to form local boards through horse-trading and claimed BJP was offering INR 2 crore for each of seven Congress councillors in Jodhpur.
BJP response
The BJP rejected the allegations as baseless and said people were willingly joining the party.
Police involvement
Congress allegations
Govind Singh Dotasara alleged that police visited resorts without valid reasons, conducted head counts and pressured councillors on the pretext of investigating confinement or missing-person reports.
BJP response
Jwahar Singh Bedam said police were performing their duty when relatives reported a family member missing and needed to investigate.
Councillor movements
Congress allegations
Relatives of Archana Badgujjar claimed she was taken away against her will after switching from the BJP to the opposition and said she had gone missing.
BJP response
The BJP side said the Congress was making allegations while councillors and supporters were making their own political choices.
Key facts
- BJP corporation majorities
- Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur and Bhilwara
- Congress corporation result
- Majority in Bikaner; single-largest party in Pali and Ajmer
- Independent kingmakers
- Independents may decide outcomes in Bharatpur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Alwar and Pali
- Municipal councils
- The BJP was clearly ahead in 13 of 47 councils, Congress in 7, while 27 depended on independents
- Municipalities
- Of Rajasthan’s 252 municipalities, 142 had no clear majority
- Ajmer councillors
- Congress reportedly moved 37 councillors to an undisclosed location in Karnataka
- Jodhpur result
- BJP won 45 seats, Congress 44 and 11 independents could determine control
Quotes
Jwahar Singh Bedam
Rajasthan home minister
“The Congress is disheartened. So they are levelling all sorts of allegations. People are willingly joining the BJP, and people are doing their job. If a relative files a police report saying that their relative or family member is missing, is it not the police's job to investigate?”
NDTV
“I have received information from Bikaner that they are trying to contact Congress councillors; in Jodhpur, the BJP has taken away seven of our councillors, and they are paying INR 2 crore for each candidate,”
NDTV
Sources
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