Hike in horse trading ‘rates’ after announcement of assembly session: Rajasthan CM

JAIPUR: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday indicated that he will seek a confidence vote when the assembly convenes next fortnight and claimed that the money offered to the MLAs to switch sides had increased sharply ahead of the session.

“The floor test will happen; we are going to the assembly. The BAC decides this,” he told reporters, referring to the assembly’s business advisory committee.

He said the House will also discuss the coronavirus pandemic and the state’s economy after the lockdown.

Gehlot accused Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati of acting at the behest of the BJP, referring to her party’s petition in the high court challenging the merger of six BSP MLAs with the Congress last year.

The chief minister claimed that MLAs have been getting calls after Governor Kalraj Mishra agreed Wednesday night to convene a session from August 14.

Gehlot said earlier the ‘rate’ was 10 crore as the first instalment and Rs 15 crore as the second.

“Now, it is being asked