Amid Mayawati slamming Priyanka Vadra, 6 wantaway BSP Rajasthan MLAs formally join Cong

The six MLAs from Rajasthan, who had left the Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) and taken up with the Congress in September 2019 formally took membership of the party on Friday. The six MLA's, namely Rajendra Gudd (Udaipurwati), Jogendra Singh Awana (Nadbai), Wajib Ali, Lakhan Singh Meena (Karoli), Sandeep Yadav (Tijara) and Deepchand Kheria (Kishangarhbas), had joined the Congress after they stated that they were "impressed" with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot's "style of working." On Friday the MLAs met up with Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi and became formally admitted into the party. 

The six MLAs had earlier been supporting the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan from outside. However in September, they submitted a letter to Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi informing him of their intent to join Congress.

Read: BSP MLA in MP suspended for supporting CAA, seeks apology

'Rajasthan CM should be sacked'

This formal switch of MLA's from BSP to Rajasthan's Congress comes amidst strong statements that were passed by BSP Supremo Mayawati against Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot asking him "to resign" over the 100 infants in Kota's JK Lone Hospital. The BSP supremo also went on to demand the Rajasthan CM to be "sacked."

Read: Don't become agent of judiciary: BSP tells UP CM Yogi to focus on peace & harmony

"This is highly shameful," Mayawati said in a tweet. She demanded that Gehlot be dismissed and replaced by a new dispensation otherwise 'more women will lose their children'. 

Earlier the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BSP chief together had targeted the Congress over the infant deaths, suggesting that the party leader Priyanka Gandhi should have gone there to console the children's mothers instead of "playing politics" in UP.

Read: BIG: Priyanka Vadra says Congress will fight UP polls alone, asks SP-BSP if they're scared

'Fight against communal forces in the state'

Citing the reason behind switching the party, the former BSP MLAs also stated that they wanted to fight against "communal forces" in Rajasthan which they would be able to do under the Congress CM Gehlot's leadership. "We took a decision in order to fight against communal forces and to work for the development of the state and stability of the government. Ashok ji is the best Chief Minister and no one can be better than him for Rajasthan. I was impressed with his style of working and polity," said Udaipurwati lawmaker Rajendra Gudd. 

(With Agency Inputs)

Read: Kota deaths: Mayawati demands sacking of Rajasthan CM