In a major embarrassment for Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, one of the party MLAs in Rajasthan on Thursday claimed that election tickets were sold for money. During a training session for MLAs in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, when the lawmakers were allowed to ask questions, BSP MLA Rajendra Gudha asked the panellists about the remedy for his party where people are given tickets to contest elections based on how much they can pay for a seat.

The MLA said that in the BSP, tickets to contest polls are given in exchange for money, evoking laughter among the MLAs. Gudha asked the panelists of the session to suggest steps to get rid of the ‘business’.

“Humari party Bahujan Samaj Party mein paise lekar ticket diya jaata hai…koi aur zyada paise de deta hai toh pehle ka ticket kaat kar dusre ko mil jaata hai, teesra koi zyada paise de deta hai toh unn dono ka ticket katt jata hai…iska aapke paas koi upaay hai kya? (In our BSP party, tickets are given in lieu of money. If a person gives more money, the ticket is given to him and if a third person offers more money, then the ticket is given to him. Is there any solution to this?)” he asked.

The panelists were taken aback by his question and chose not to answer. However, deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly and BJP leader Rajendra Rathore, who was also on the panel, told Gudha to seek an answer directly from BSP supremo Mayawati as she was the right person to answer him.

Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly later, Gudha said that those coming from a poor background don’t get the opportunity to contest elections because they are unable to pay money. He said that such practices are affecting the electoral process of the country and must be stopped.

“Electoral processes are affected by money… a poor person can’t contest elections this way. Our party too gives tickets in return for money, just like other parties,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

This is not the first time when an allegation of demanding money in return for election tickets has been leveled on Mayawati. Several party leaders have earlier claimed that Mayawati demands money for giving out the tickets to contest elections. In 2016, Mayawati’s close aide Swami Prasad Maurya had quit the party alleging that the BSP was a ‘ticket-selling factory’. He had then joined the BJP.

The BSP has 6 MLAs in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly and extends support to the Congress government.