Dehra Dun: Amid reports that another BJP MLA is all set to join the Congress, the ruling party on Monday said legislator Bhim Lal Arya has not yet contacted it.
State Congress chief and Revenue Minister Yashpal Arya today said Ghansali MLA Bhimlal, who is reportedly willing to join the ruling party, has not yet approached him.
"Bhim Lal Arya has not yet approached me. I have only come to know through the media that he is willing to join Congress for the development of his Ghansali constituency," Arya said.
In case the BJP MLA establishes contact with Congress, the ruling party will take an appropriate decision, he added.
Meanwhile, rattled by reports that Arya is likely to quit his Ghansali seat in Tehri district in favour of the ruling Congress in Uttarakhand, the BJP had sought a CBI probe into alleged horse trading especially after BJP MLA Kiran Mandal resigned from Sitarganj seat in favour of chief minister Vijay Bahuguna to help him to enter the Assembly.
Arya also denied allegations made by BJP that Rs 10 crore was paid to strike a deal with Mandal. "These allegations are not only mischievous but slanderous also," he said.
Taking a dig at the BJP for severe infighting, he said, the party`s MLAs, including former chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, had been boycotting meetings during the past few months.
Arya`s comments came as Bahuguna began a whirlwind campaign tour of Sitarganj his constituency in the by-elections to enter the state Assembly.
Significantly, Bahuguna had made a series of announcements for the welfare of Sitarganj before June 13 when he filed his nomination papers.
He now may not face much opposition as several parties like Samajwadi Party, BSP and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD)have decided not field candidate against him.
After long dithering, BJP on Saturday sent a panel of three names to the party high command for the July 8 Sitarganj by-election from where the chief minister is contesting.
Former cabinet minister Prakash Pant, former MP Balraj Pasi and former Udhamsingh Nagar district president Ratan Lal Gupta were the three names which were sent to the party high command for contesting against Bahuguna.
BJP yesterday lodged a complaint with Governor Aziz Qureshi at Nainital Raj Bhavan on the "incidents of horse trading" and sought a CBI probe in this regard.
PTI
