Gehlot camp MLAs to be in Jaisalmer till assembly convenes
Around 100 odd MLAs backing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s, who have been staying at a hotel on the Jaipur- Delhi Highway amid the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan, will be shifted to Jaisalmer on Friday (July 31).
Sources said that the Congress Legislature Party meeting will take place in the hotel and CM Gehlot will address the MLAs, following which they will be shifted out in a special plane.
With assmebly session slated to begin on August 14, Gehlot claims to have the support of 102 MLAs even without Team Pilot’s suport. The MLAs have camped at the hotel since July 13 after Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs rebelled against the government triggering a political crisis in the state, threatening the government’s majority.
The sources did not elaborate on the reasons for shifting the MLAs.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday made scathing comments saying the money offered to the legislators to switch sides had increased sharply once the assembly session was announced. earlier the rate was 10 crore as the first instalment and Rs 15 crore as the second. Now, it is being asked how much do you want? This means that the rate has increased. Everyone knows who is doing the horse-trading, he told
He also indicated that indicated he will seek a confidence vote when the assembly convenes next fortnight. It was the fourth revised proposal that was approved by governor Kalraj Mishra before turning it down thrice. The chief minister said the rebels who have not accepted money should return to the party fold.
Gehlot also accused Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati of acting at the behest of the BJP, referring to her party’s petition in the high court challenging the merger of six BSP MLAs with the Congress last year.
The chief minister claimed that MLAs have been getting calls after Governor Kalraj Mishra agreed to convene a session from August 14.
Gehlot is trying to save his government after Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs rebelled. The Congress has accused the BJP of being behind this conspiracy to topple the state government. The chief minister said the rebels should return to the party-fold. They won elections on Congress tickets and their first duty is to stand with the government. They don’t realise what the people are thinking about them in their constituencies, and they will come to know that later, he said. Why are they playing in the lap of BJP, he asked.
The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday issued notices to the assembly Speaker, secretary and the six MLAs over the BSPs petition. Gehlot said the dissident Congress MLAs are at Manesar in Gurgaon and the Special Operations Group (SOG) team of the Rajasthan police is unable to reach them. “The entire country is watching this. This is the game of the BJP and people will not forgive the party,” he said.
He said that the BJP party and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should give up their intention of toppling the elected government and instead work on saving lives from coronavirus. The state and the Centre should together work on this but, unfortunately, their priority is to topple governments, he alleged.
(With inputs from agencies)
