Jaipur, June 6 -- Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday alleged that senior BJP leaders made every possible effort to bring down the Congress government through horse-trading and inducements to MLAs, referring to the political crisis in the state in 2020. Addressing the media in Jaipur, he claimed that the Congress succeeded in protecting its government and "saved Rajasthan" despite a "massive conspiracy" involving offers worth crores and meetings with rebel legislators. The remarks were part of Gehlot's response when asked about the ongoing turmoil in the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) after their defeat in the 2026 assembly elections in West Bengal. "Deals worth Rs.35 crore per MLA were struck. Advance payments were also made. Some legislators were allegedly given Rs.10 crore in advance, which was never taken back," he claimed, questioning why issues did not figure in public discourse. The veteran Congress leader directly targeted Union home minister Amit Shah and education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that they were actively involved in efforts to destabilise the elected Congress government. "The BJP top leadership, including Amit Shah and Dharmendra Pradhan, left no stone unturned. Meetings of our MLAs were being held at Dharmendra Pradhan's residence. Legislators used to travel from Manesar to attend those meetings. Amit Shah also used to come there. It was a huge conspiracy, but we exposed it," he said. He reiterated his long-standing allegation that the Bharatiya Janata Party used horse-trading as a political tool to topple governments. "Rajasthan survived despite all efforts made against us," he said. Recalling the 2020 crisis, Gehlot claimed that the BJP had arranged two aircraft to transport legislators but eventually backed off after realising that some of its own MLAs might switch sides. "They had sent two planes to take legislators. One of those aircraft returned empty. At that point, they realised that even BJP MLAs were breaking away and things could backfire. Out of fear, they stepped back," he alleged. Drawing parallels with recent political developments elsewhere, Gehlot said he viewed the current situation in West Bengal through a similar lens. "What is happening in West Bengal reminds us of those events. There is an atmosphere of fear and pressure. Horse-trading may also be taking place there," he said. Reflecting on the state of politics, Gehlot said leaders should focus on strengthening themselves rather than weakening opponents. "To move ahead in politics, one has to make one's own line bigger. Unfortunately, the trend now is to cut someone else's line and then claim your own is larger. That approach ultimately fails," he said. He urged political leaders to reconnect with the grassroots, particularly villages, poor communities and Scheduled Caste settlements. "Leaders should work day and night among the people. The Congress tradition was to stay connected with villages, the poor and marginalised sections. That culture has weakened over time," he said. The former chief minister also took a swipe at the current BJP government in Rajasthan, questioning who was actually guiding the administration. "It is difficult to understand who is running the government. Who is guiding the chief minister?" he asked. While extending good wishes to chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Gehlot said constructive criticism should also be welcomed. "He accepts our good wishes, but when we raise concerns, they are treated as criticism. Both should go together. Accept our good wishes as well as our suggestions," Gehlot said. BJP spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma disputed Gehlot's allegations, particularly against Shah and Pradhan. "It is the dissatisfaction within political parties, especially Congress, where leaders do not respect the sentiments of workers, which leads to rebellion within their own ranks," he said....