A day after they went against their respective party lines and indulged in cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress and the BJP on Saturday acted against the errant MLAs.
The Congress expelled its Haryana MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi from “all his present party positions, including the post of special invitee of the Congress Working Committee, with immediate effect”.
For its part, the BJP suspended its Rajasthan MLA Shobharani Kushwaha for cross-voting in favour of a Congress candidate and asked her to explain her action.
Bishnoi, who has been cut-up with the Congress central leadership for overlooking his candidature for the party’s Haryana president’s post, cross-voted for the BJP-JJP-backed Independent candidate media executive Kartikeya Sharma. As a result, former Union Minister Ajay Maken lost, in a major embarrassment for the Congress which had the required numbers to win.
Bishnoi, the Congress MLA from Adampur, followed up his act with a cryptic tweet on Saturday morning saying, “I have the capability to crush snakes’ hood. I do not leave the jungle fearing snakes.”
With the Congress favouring old guard Bhupinder Singh Hooda over him for the PCC chief’s post, Bishnoi had been seeking an appointment with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. However, he did not get an audience.
In Rajasthan, what came as a surprise was the cross voting by BJP MLA Shobharani Kushwaha in favour of Congress candidate Pramod Tiwari, who sailed through smoothly.
His victory was not expected because of a tough fight from media baron Subash Chandra given the uncertainty related to the BSP MLAs who had joined the Congress.
Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria issued an order stating Kushwaha voted for Tiwari despite a whip and that she was being suspended from the BJP’s primary membership.
In the letter, Kataria also asked the MLA to clarify why she voted against the whip. BJP State president Satish Poonia said the party high command has been informed about the matter.