Cong took 16 days to decide CM face: BJP MLA Kalicharan Saraf hits back at Gehlot

JAIPUR: After outgoing Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took a swipe at the BJP over the delay in naming his successor, Kalicharan Saraf, a newly electedMLA from the saffron party, hit back at the veteran Congress leader on Sunday saying that the grand old party had taken 16 days to decide their CM for the state post the 2018 Assembly polls.

Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Kalicharan said, "For the Congress to level such allegations at us is laughable. After the last Assembly elections in 2018, it took them 16 days to decide their CM. Unlike the BJP, which handles these matters in a democratic manner, they are dictatorial. Our party top brass has appointed observers for Rajasthan, who will come here, listen to the MLAs, and tender their report to the high command which will eventually decide the CM."

Further lashing out at the Congress, he said all leaders and members involved in 'corruption' should be raided by the ED.

"Gehlot Saheb only makes statements while the Congress members are involved in corruption. We saw how stacks of currency notes, going into crores, were recovered from the residence of Congress Rajya Sabha (from Jharkhand) MP Dhiraj Sahu. Where did all this money come from? The residences of all Congressmen involved in corruption should be raided by the ED," he told ANI.

Gehlot on Saturday criticized the BJP's delay in announcing CM faces for three Hindi heartland states 1 Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, saying that "there is no discipline in this party."

"There is no discipline in this party. If we had done the same, I don't know what allegations they would have levelled against us and misled people. They polarized the polls... We will cooperate with the new government," he said while speaking to ANI.

Union Minister and BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi asserted on Saturday asserted that the seizure of cash from some premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu in Income Tax Department raids is the highest among corrupt people so far. "The amount of cash recovered from Dheeraj Sahu's premises is the highest among corrupt people so far. Its amount has reached Rs 300 crore...

Congress has tried to spread corruption from generation to generation," Meenakashi Lekhi added. Meanwhile, facing heat after crores of rupees were unearthed from premises linked to their Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu, Congress on Saturday said that the party is in no way connected with the businesses of the former and that the lawmaker from Jharkhand should explain the matter.

Taking to social media platform, X, the Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh said that only Dheeraj Sahu can explain the huge amounts of cash, reportedly unearthed by the income-tax authorities from his properties.