BSP refutes party MLA's allegation of tickets being handed out in exchange for money

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Rajasthan on Friday rejected the allegations levelled by its MLA Rajendra Gudha that tickets to contest elections are handed out in exchange for money.

The party issued a statement here, claiming that the MLA's allegations are baseless.

"The party does not accept donations from the rich and is run with the small financial assistance given by workers and supporters. MLA Rajendra Gudha's statement in a seminar yesterday is baseless," the statement said.

"He is making such statements at the behest of rival parties to tarnish the BSP's image. Public knows his background. He had betrayed the party in the past and when he rejoined the party, he had promised to stay on the party lines," it said.

At a seminar of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association here on Thursday, Gudha had alleged that in the BSP, tickets to contest elections are given in exchange for money and the person who pays the highest amount gets it.

He stood by his statement on Friday and told reporters that corruption was rampant in his party.

Gudha was among six BSP MLAs who had defected to the Congress in 2009.