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BJP, NCP accused of double standards

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Nationalist Congress Party of "double standards" on the issue of reservation for the Backward Class by supporting the candidature of industrialist Rahul Bajaj for the Rajya Sabha election from Maharashtra.

"Both the parties claim that they are in favour of extending reservations to Backward Class in institutions of higher learning. In that case, they owe an explanation as to why they are supporting Mr.Bajaj, a person who had trashed the move to provide reservation to OBCs single-handedly in a campaign style in the recent past," Mr. Gehlot said. "What could be their compulsions to support such a person in the election," Mr. Gehlot asked on the eve of the by-election even as Mr. Bajaj appeared to be a sure winner in the 288-member Maharashtra House against the Congress nominee Avinash Pande. One needs a minimum of 145 votes to get elected to the seat that fell vacant due to the death of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan. The NCP and the BJP-Shiv Sena put together have 183 votes.

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