Rajasthan Guv seeks fresh proposal from CM to convene Assembly session

Hours after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the “conduct” of Governor Kalraj Mishra, the Governor on Monday (July 27) said securing a vote of confidence could be a ground for calling an Assembly session on short notice, but the revised recommendation did not mention it.

He also returned the Cabinet recommendation and sought another one for the purpose, incorporating a 21-day notice period for calling the session for a floor test, a Raj Bhawan statement said. The Congress had accused Mishra of acting at the behest of the Centre as he did not convene the House even after the Cabinet submitted a revised proposal.

Earlier, Gehlot come down heavily on the Governor. “Spoke to the prime minister yesterday (July 26) over governor’s conduct,” NDTV quoted Gehlot as saying. The chief minister added that governors were bound to grant approval to elected governments when they call for assembly sessions.

According to Hindustan Times, Gehlot told reporters that he had spoken to Modi, regarding the letter he had written to the governor seven days ago. “The Governor has once again sent us a six-page love letter,” NDTV quoted the chief minister as saying.

Earlier, the Congress accused the Governor of resorting to the “worst kind of obstruction of democracy” by raising “superficial and motivated” queries on Gehlot government’s demand for convening a session of the state assembly.

Mishra had on Friday (July 24) sought clarifications on six points from the state government, after Congress MLAs held a five-hour dharna on the lawns of the Raj Bhawan in Jaipur pressing for the convening of the assembly.

The governor asked Gehlot to submit again, with the clarifications, his recommendation for calling a session. The governor on Saturday (July 25) night received a revised proposal from the state cabinet requesting that a session of the assembly be called on July 31.

(With inputs from agencies)