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BJP Gets Ready To Seek Trust Vote For Ashok Gehlot

"Only floor test can prove numbers," said the party, which has been watching the developments keenly so far.
New Delhi:

A floor test to prove the numbers of Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan is the only way to move forward, the BJP said today as the Congress numbers rapidly started shrinking with more defections. "Only a floor test can prove the numbers," said the BJP, which has been watching the developments keenly so far. Mr Gehlot, who claims to hold majority, has gone to meet Governor Kalraj Mishra. Senior BJP leader Om Mathur, who is in charge of Rajasthan, has left for Jaipur, where a top level meeting is on.

After a meeting of the legislature party yesterday, the Congress claimed to have the support of 106 MLAs in the 200-member house, where the majority mark is 101. But this morning, three more MLAs left the Gehlot camp, bringing down his numbers close to 100, sources said.

The Sachin Pilot camp, which claims to have the support of 30 MLAs, yesterday released a video showing 16 MLAs sitting at an undisclosed location.

Mr Pilot and two ministers have been dropped from the Ashok Gehlot government as the 42-year-old skipped the Congress’s second meeting in a row this morning.

At a press conference, the Congress said the BJP has "ensnared" Mr Pilot to bring down his party’s government in Rajasthan. The party has also accused the BJP of attempting to bring down the government through "money power". Mr Gehlot had earlier said the MLAs were being offered 15 crore to switch camps -- an accusation the BJP has denied.
Mr Pilot has denied that he is joining the BJP. He has also ignored the Congress’s repeated demands that he meet the top leaders and sort out differences.

The BJP, which formed governments in states like Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh following largescale defections, has denied that any talks with Mr Pilot have taken place.

On Monday, its senior leader and Union minister Uma Bharti, however, issued an open invitation to Mr Pilot, saying "Both Sachin and Jyotiraditya Scindia are like my nephews. If Sachin comes here (in the BJP) we will be very happy".

In March, Jyotiraditya Scindia had switched sides with 22 MLAs, bringing down the Congress government led by Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh.