Pilot questions Raje's silence over Kushwah's cross vote in RS poll

JAIPUR: Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday questioned the silence of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje over the cross vote of Shobharani Kushwah, BJP MLA from Dholpur, in Rajya Sabha elections.

He said that BJP is a divided house and the party should ask who inspired its own MLA to cross vote. Elections on four seats of Rajya Sabha were held on Friday in which the ruling Congress won three and BJP won one seat. BJP MLA Shobharani Kushwah, who cross voted in favour of Congress candidate Pramod Tiwari, was suspended by the party.

“We have been saying since the beginning that we have the majority to win three seats. The country saw yesterday that our candidates won. The attempts BJP made to create confusion were dashed,” Pilot told reporters in Dausa on Saturday.

He said that the BJP should ask their MLA at whose instigation she ignored the party whip. However, he said, it was their internal matter.

“There is infighting among the BJP leaders. There was no statement from former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, she neither condemned it nor appreciated it but everyone understands the game being played from behind the curtains,” he said.

“It became clear from yesterday's episode that how can people give assurance to such a party, which cannot play the role of active opposition responsibly, to become a ruling party,” he said.

Pilot also said that the party will challenge the defeat of the party candidate Ajay Maken in Haryana.

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