Rajasthan BJP's own MLAs behave like oppn members

For the ruling BJP in Rajasthan, its own legislators have apparently become a problem. Its MLAs have started playing the role of the opposition by taking up contemporary issues and even forcing their own ministers to reply in the House.

On several occasions in the last three days, legislators like Rao Rajendra Singh from Shahpura, Ghanshyam Tiwari from Sanganer, Mohan Lal Gupta from Jaipur, Anita from Bharatpur, Jaswant Yadav from Behror and several others have cornered their own government in the House.

Water Resource Minister Ram Pratap was left embarrassed when Rao Rajendra Singh raised question pertaining to central grants on some projects. The minister didn’t have “valid information”, but tried to save face by promising to act against officials who misguided him on the issue.

BJP legislator Jaswant Singh Yadav raised the issue of swine flu and asked the government to take the issue seriously.

He said, both H1N1 positive patients and suspects stand in the same queue in hospitals and get exposed to the virus. He sought a reply from the health minister and blamed the government for such negligence.

Legislator Ghanshyam Tiwari pointed out mistakes in 22 notifications of finance department that were tabled in the House. Tiwari sought a clarification from the government and demanded action against the officials.

Rao Rajendra Singh expressed his concern that basic structure of democracy has been replaced by individuals names. Leaders have so much faith in the individuals that they have crossed all the democratic limitations.

Rao was hinting at Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje but gave example of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot to dilute the statement.

“Ask anyone about the previous government. They will never say it was the Congress government. Rather they would say it was Gehlot’s government. Credit of good and bad things is given to individual person and it’s not a good tendency. After all it’s the legislators that choose the Leader of the House,” said Rao Rajendra Singh.

BJP legislator Mohanlal Gupta and Surendra Pareek raised the issue of Metro project and the eventual damage to the heritage structures in walled city area. The Urban Development and Housing Minister Rajpal Singh Shekhawat had to come forward and reply with several promises.

Slaughtering of cows has been an important issue for the BJP leaders. Legislator Anita from Bharatpur said that despite constituting a separate commission to check cow slaughtering, the practice was still continuing in her constituency.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders ruled out any differences between its legislators saying that Assembly is the place where legislators raise problems of their constituency, which are later addressed by the state government.