Jaipur, Jun 9 (IANS): In a major change of its strategy, which could spell trouble for the Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) has issued a whip asking its MLAs not to take part in the June 10 elections.

The BTP has two seats in the Rajasthan Assembly.

The whip was issued late Wednesday night. It came a day after the BTP MLAs met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Udaipur and had announced support to the Congress.

BTP state president Velaram Ghoghra said, "The MLAs have been directed via whip to refrain from voting in the Rajya Sabha elections."

"Our MLAs supported the (Congress) party earlier during the 2020 political crisis. The party gave representations to the CM with our charter of demands, but nothing has materialised. Therefore, our MLAs have been directed to refrain from voting," Ghoghra said.

Speaking on the development, BTP MLA Rajkumar Roat said that it was earlier decided to support the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections after consultation with the party leaders and workers, however now the state president has issued the whip on his own.

"We (MLAs) will hold discussion with party leaders and workers tomorrow to decide further course of action," Roat said.