Even after 14 days, the BSP legislators are yet to become the official members of the Congress, heightening the political suspense among both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the state.
"It's surprising that six MLAs from a particular party who were announced to have joined the Congress in a midnight operation are yet to be made the party members officially," said a senior Congress leader.
He also expressed resentment that how an organisation could make such an announcement without informing its organisational chief. "If there was some hurry to make the announcement, why they have not been officially inducted into the party," he said.
"We all know the BSP MLAs are awaiting plum posts in the ministry. What will happen if that doesn't happen," the Congress leader remarked.
Criticising non-adherence of the party practices, norms and ethics, he said, "Normally, MLAs first join a party and then are inducted into the government. However, all the party norms have been ignored here."
Expressing discontentment, he said all the political appointments, promised to us, were yet to be made. "And now, the outsiders (BSP legislators) have been promised plum portfolios. Isn't this injustice to us," he said.
Meanwhile, state BJP spokesperson Amit Goyal said the Congress had the history of buying MLAs. Gehlot had cheated Mayawati around 10 years ago, and he did the same now by buying all six MLAs, he said and added, "It's sad the BSP didn't learn from the past."
Gehlot was known for his political greed for not following any norms, he said.
While Gehlot displayed showed his political guile by announcing the merger without letting state Congress chief Sachin Pilot smell about it, now pilot is responding by delaying their membership, the BJP leader said.
"This speaks volumes about the Gehlot vs Pilot politics and lack of coordination between the ruling party and the government," Goyal said.
Shiv C. Sahu, BJP legal cell state coordinator, said under the Representation of People's Act, if an MLA planned to change his party he/she should quit the Assembly. "But no one practices this. In this case, the BSP can take legal action against these MLAs," Sahu said.
(Archana Sharma can be contacted at arachana.g@gmail.com)
( With inputs from IANS )