BSP issued whip after Mayawati's deliberation: BSP Rajasthan chief

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], July 27 (ANI): A day after the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) issued a whip to its six MLAs directing them to vote against the Congress in any no-confidence motion or any proceedings to be held during Rajasthan assembly session, Bhagwan Singh Baba, BSP's Rajasthan chief, on Monday said that party chief Mayawati decided this after a lot of deliberation.
"The whip was issued as the MLAs had won elections on BSP tickets and they cannot now get involved in Congress' activities or vote for them. BSP chief decided this after a lot of deliberation. We are working on her directions," Baba told ANI.
Rajasthan BSP chief alleged that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had merged all the six BSP MLAs with the Congress.
"The six MLAs had won the election on BSP tickets. CM Ashok Gehlot merged all of them with Congress. This is not the first time it happened in Rajasthan. It had happened in 2008 too," Baba said.
BSP's national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra had on Sunday said that notices have been issued to six MLAs separately as well as collectively, stating that since BSP is a national party, there cannot be any merger at the state level unless there is a merger of BSP at the national level.
Notices have been issued to all six MLAs, R Gudha, Lakhan Singh, Deep Chand, JS Awana, Sandeep Kumar and Wajib Ali, who have been elected to the Rajasthan Assembly.
The anti-defection law, enshrined in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, was inserted in 1985 to prevent such political defections. It lists two situations for disqualification on the ground of defection. Firstly, if an MP or an MLA "has voluntarily given up his membership of such political party" (clause 2(1)(a)). Secondly, if he votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by his party, that is if he violates the party whip in the House (clause 2(1)(b).
Rajasthan plunged into a political crisis after differences between former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was removed as the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan and as the state unit chief of the party. (ANI)