Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had met Governor Kalraj Mishra on Thursday too. (File)
Highlights
- Governor not convening Assembly, “pressure from above”: Ashok Gehlot
- Mr Gehlot mentioned he had even requested an meeting session from Monday
- The Governor informed NDTV that he had not mentioned “no” to Mr Gehlot’s request
Jaipur:
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot right this moment demanded an meeting session “as soon as possible” and protested for greater than 4 hours at Governor Kalraj Mishra’s home, accusing him of sitting on the request as a result of he was “under pressure” to stall a check of energy. The Chief Minister submitted an inventory of 102 MLAs to the Governor, who requested him to ship a contemporary request for a session.
“We requested him to call a session in a letter yesterday and we waited all night, but there was no response,” the Chief Minister mentioned, alleging a BJP function within the Governor’s stance.
“We are ready to prove our majority. The opposition (BJP) should welcome it, but here it is ulti-ganga (opposite)”.
An nearly day-long sit-in by the Chief Minister ended round 7.40 PM.
There have been unprecedented scenes on the Governor’s House, Raj Bhavan, the place the Chief Minister and round 100 Congress MLAs sat on protest and refused to budge till he made an announcement. “Call a session now…We want justice..,” the MLAs chanted, sitting within the lawns.
The Governor got here out and informed the Chief Minister that he was getting authorized opinion for the reason that Supreme Court is listening to the case.
The Chief Minister mentioned he wouldn’t depart till the meeting session was introduced. “I cannot say yes right now,” Kalraj Mishra repeated to him.
The Governor, in a press release, mentioned the “purpose of calling the session has not been given and no agenda has been proposed” within the four-line proposal. “Normally, a 21-day notice is needed,” the assertion added. A brand new proposal is prone to be despatched to him on Saturday morning. “The Governor assured us that he would follow the constitution,” mentioned Raghu Sharma, state Health Minister.
The Governor informed NDTV that he had not mentioned “no” to Mr Gehlot’s request. “I have not decided yet. Whatever I do will be according to the rules,” Kalraj Mishra mentioned amid reviews that he could even cite coronavirus restrictions to carry off on a session.
Raghu Sharma mentioned: “If that is the case, we are ready to take Covid tests.”
Mr Gehlot mentioned he had even phoned the Governor final night, moreover writing to him. “I told him you must follow your conscience and preserve the decorum of your constitutional post. The people of Rajasthan are with us. If the masses surround the Raj Bhawan in protest, we will not be responsible,” mentioned the Chief Minister.
Mr Gehlot, 69, goes all out for a check of energy after Sachin Pilot and different Congress rebels threatening his authorities scored a reprieve from the Rajasthan High Court right this moment. There might be no motion for now on disqualification notices despatched to the rebels final week, the court docket mentioned. This means the Speaker can’t take any motion in opposition to the rebels till the bigger constitutional query of his powers is determined. That query will likely be taken up by the Supreme Court on Monday.
Mr Gehlot believes he has the numbers to retain energy if he faces a belief vote now. If he does win, there can’t be any vote for the following six months.
The guidelines say the rebels should comply with the occasion whip within the meeting or threat being disqualified. Despite the court-ordered established order, the rebels might be disqualified in the event that they vote in opposition to their very own occasion. But their vote will nonetheless rely.
The Chief Minister mentioned he anticipated a few of the dissident MLAs to return to the fold. “The rebels have been calling us for help. They want to be freed. They are being guarded by bouncers and the police, their phones have been seized,” Mr Gehlot claimed. That declare was denied by Murali Lal Meena, one of many insurgent MLAs presently in Delhi with Mr Pilot.
The Congress has a slender lead over the opposition and is just one previous the bulk mark of 101 within the 200-member Rajasthan meeting. Team Pilot claims the assist of 30 MLAs, however to this point, the proof factors to solely 19. The BJP has 72. Including smaller events and unbiased members, the opposition has 97 in the meanwhile.
If Team Pilot is disqualified, it should assist the Chief Minister by bringing the bulk mark down. But in the event that they win the case to vote as Congress MLAs, they will endanger the federal government.
In a separate improvement that would have an effect on Mr Gehlot’s tally, a BJP MLA has petitioned the High Court in opposition to the merger of a gaggle of six MLAs of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with the Congress. The BSP MLAs had joined the Congress final 12 months, pushing up its general tally.