New Delhi: By pushing for the assembly to be convened amid the Sachin Pilot rebellion, Rajasthan Chief Minister and veteran politician Ashok Gehlot has played what is being seen as his last card to save his turf in the state.
The chief minister’s demand for an assembly session, Congress sources say, is a strategic move to force the MLAs of the Sachin Pilot camp to return to Jaipur.
Believed to be holed up in Delhi, the MLAs, it is learnt, have been incommunicado for the past 12 days as many don’t have access to mobile phones.
“If the state assembly is in place, the rebel MLAs will have to attend the session too. For this, they will have to come out of their hideouts and return to Jaipur as a whip can then be issued, and if they don’t follow it, they run the risk of being disqualified,” said a senior Congress leader, adding that the party felt it was the only option they had left.
Gehlot’s decision to approach the governor for an assembly session came hours after the Supreme Court Thursday refused to stop the Rajasthan High Court from delivering its verdict on a plea filed by the Sachin Pilot camp challenging the showcause notices issued by the Rajasthan assembly speaker.
The notices, which threaten disqualification, were issued after Pilot and 18 MLAs rebelled against the Congress government in the state. The HC Friday ordered status quo on the Pilot camp’s petition, which it found maintainable, and thus precluded any move by the Rajasthan speaker to disqualify them until a final decision is taken.
On Thursday evening, Gehlot met Governor Kalraj Mishra where, sources said, he requested that an assembly session be convened. When he didn’t get a go-ahead until late at night or in the morning, Gehlot held a press meet and alleged that Mishra is acting in such a manner due to “pressure from the top”.
A second Congress leader pointed out that while the chief minister has now formally made a request to convene an assembly session, he has not mentioned the word “floor test” so far.
“Calling an assembly session is one thing and holding a floor test another. We are confident that the 19 MLAs will not come if a session is convened, and, then, if a floor test is held, there will be no problem in clearing it,” the leader said.
“So, this is a strategic move that has been played out to call their bluff,” the leader added, referring to the BJP’s remarks that the government should call for a floor test of its own accord if it’s confident of its numbers.
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‘Not very hopeful of getting governor’s nod’
While officially the party has maintained that it has the support of 109 MLAs in the 200-member assembly, sources claim Gehlot only has 102, including two from the Bharatiya Tribal Party.
The party also has the support of 11 Independent MLAs, besides that of one RJD MLA. Two CPI(M) MLAs are providing outside support to the Gehlot government.
The BJP, meanwhile, has 72 MLAs and the support of 3 Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) legislators.
“Earlier, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot seemed quite confident about holding a floor test but the situation has changed slightly,” a Congress leader had told ThePrint Thursday. “The central leadership is also of the view that a floor test should only be called when there is complete clarity on the numbers as cross-voting can prove fatal.”
Another party leader said they are not very hopeful of getting the governor’s approval for a floor test.
“The governor is unlikely to give us the permission so it is a win-win situation for the Congress. If he refuses to give (permission), the BJP and the Pilot camp will get exposed, and if he allows, then it will force the Pilot camp MLAs to come out from their resort and be in Jaipur,” the leader added.
This is an updated version of the report
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