jaipur

Updated: Jan 14, 2018 20:17 IST

Rajput organisations on Sunday announced their support to the Congress in the upcoming bypolls. The community leaders will campaign for Congress candidates on all three seats.

Miffed with the state government’s indifference, the traditional and sizeable BJP vote bank extended their support to the Congress on all three seats.

Bypolls to the Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha and Mandalgarh assembly constituencies will be held on January 29.

“The Rajput community is unhappy with the state BJP government. The community feels cheated. The agreement inked in the Anandpal encounter case has not been followed. In the Chatur Singh case, we demanded a CBI probe but nothing happened. Also, a sum of ₹3.5 crore service tax has been imposed on Rajput Sabha Bhawan,” Shri Rajput Sabha president Giriraj Singh Lotwara said.

“I have been voting for the BJP for last two decades but the party has made all efforts to ruin us, so many cases have been made against us,” he added.

On Sunday, Ajmer Congress candidate, Raghu Sharma, met Rajput leaders seeking support in the bypolls. Leaders of Rajput organisation such as Shri Rajput Sabha, Marwar Rajput, Rashtriya Karni Sena, Rawna Rajput, Charan Rajput, Pratap Foundation etc have assured unconditional support to the Congress on all three seats.

“Community leaders will campaign for Congress candidates in Ajmer on January 16 and Alwar on January 18. It will be a wake-up call for BJP. The representatives of the community in the government – MLAs and minister — did not even come once when the community was in pain and remained tight-lipped,” he said.

Congress spokesperson and Jaipur district president Pratap Singh Khachariyawas alleged that there have been a lot of atrocities on the Rajput community by the ruling BJP government. The community was targeted and a number of cases were lodged against them. None of the MLAs and ministers spoke up against the issues, be it Padmavati, Anandpal, Chatur Singh or Raj Mahal hotel issue.

“The Rajput organisations have assured support on all three seats and this will come as a big jolt to the BJP. We have also assured the Congress’ support to the community,” said Khachariyawas, who was accompanying Sharma.