Gehlot govt gets big SC boost as BJP plans no-confidence motion 

In a major boost to the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan ahead of a trust vote to be moved by the BJP on Friday, the Supreme Court has said it would not interfere in a case challenging the speaker’s decision to recognise the merger with the Congress of the BSP legislature party with six MLAs.

The in effect means the six BSP MLAs can take part in the no-confidence motion, bolstering the strength of the Congress government in the 200-member Assembly.

BJP MLA Madan Dilawar had moved the SC after the Rajasthan High Court refused to stay the merger. The Supreme Court said it will leave the decision to the single-judge bench of the high court.

“We will not interfere in this case at this stage since the High Court is already hearing it,” the SC said on Thursday (August 13), reported NDTV. This would have come as a huge relief to the Congress already upbeat over the return of rebel leader Sachin Pilot and his supporters into the fold.

Pilot has been invited to a meeting of the Congress MLAs at Gehlot’s residence on Thursday evening. Pilot will be attending his first meeting of the party since July 12, when he had threatened to split from the Congress over the functioning of the chief minister.

Meanwhile, the BJP has decided to move a no-confidence motion against the Gehlot government on Friday when the specials session of the Assembly begins. The decision was made during a meeting of top state BJP leaders, including former Vasundhara Raje, on Thursday.

Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria confirmed that the BJP will move a trust motion on Friday.

During Pilot’s rebellion, many had expected the BJP to woo him and MLAs in his camp to form a government. The party, however, maintained that it had no intention of forming a government.