Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot at AICC headquarters in New Delhi (Express Photo by Amit Mehra/File)
Rajasthan Government crisis Live Updates: Sachin Pilot, who was shown the door after he failed to attend the CLP meetings for two consecutive days, told The Indian Express that he has no plans of joining BJP. “Some leaders in Rajasthan trying to fuel speculation that I am joining BJP but I am not doing so. I have worked very hard to bring Congress back in govt in Rajasthan,” Pilot told the PTI. Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande, meanwhile, told the party’s doors are open for him.
Meanwhile, late Tuesday night Speaker C P Joshi’s office has issued notice to rebel MLAs seeking their reply by July 17. Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi had petitioned the Speaker for disqualification of rebel MLAs yesterday.
Pilot’s removal as the deputy chief minister and state Congress chief has set the stage for another battle in Rajasthan — one that has all the signs of a protracted legal and technical fight.
Even as the political crisis in the state deepens, Rajasthan BJP unit has thrown its hat in the ring and will meet today to discuss the further strategy. Former chief minister and senior BJP leader Vasundhara Raje is expected to arrive in Jaipur today to attend a crucial strategy session of the party.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot with Sachin Pilot (File)
There are two main takeaways. First, the move clears all speculation about the exact number of MLAs who are with Pilot. Second, it shows that the numbers game in Rajasthan is much closer than what it had been assumed at the beginning of the crisis — even though Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot continues to have a slight edge.
Congress had filed a petition with Speaker C P Joshi, seeking the disqualification of all party MLAs who did not attend the CLP meeting, AICC general secretary Avinash Pande said on Wednesday. He said it was up to the Speaker to decide what action to take if the replies to the notices were not satisfactory. The party has also issued a gag order, saying no Congress member can communicate with the media without the permission of the newly appointed state unit chief.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Tuesday announced the appointment of 15 Congress MLAs as parliamentary secretaries attached to offices of cabinet ministers in the state.
With the Congress having criticised the practice while in opposition in the state, the BJP said the party was trying to quell any chance of dissidence in the ranks, given the developments in Rajasthan. BJP MP Sunil Soni said the new appointees should thank Sachin Pilot, who was removed as Rajasthan Deputy CM on Tuesday after going public on his differences with the party, for their new appointments. BJP leader Rajesh Munat said, “The Congress, while in opposition, had challenged such appointments in the Chhattisgarh High Court. What happened now? CM Baghel has made these appointments to pacify dissidents.”
Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said Sachin Pilot should have shown patience. "Sachin Pilot was made an MP, a Central Minister, Rajasthan Party Chief & Deputy CM, what is his age? He is still young, he should have some patience. His actions have been against the party discipline. These youngsters do not have patience," he said, news agency PTI reported
Sachin Pilot tells The Indian Express that he's not joining BJP. Earlier talking to Express on Sunday, Pilot told that he's not aligning with the saffron party.
Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande told news agency ANI that the party's doors are still open for Sachin Pilot. "May God give Sachin Pilot wisdom and he doesn't try to topple govt. He should admit his mistake. Doors were always open for him for talks, even today. But, now he seems to have moved ahead of all this, so these things don't matter now."
In the latest episode of the Three Things podcast, we explain the options before Sachin Pilot after his sacking as the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan. Listen to our podcast.
Talking to news agency PTI, Sachin Pilot reiterated that he's not joining BJP. "Some leaders in Rajasthan trying to fuel speculation that I am joining BJP but I am not doing so. I have worked very hard to bring Congress back in govt in Rajasthan," Pilot told the agency.
The first hints of a disqualification threat were dropped by Chief Minister Gehlot himself. Speaking to reporters after meeting Governor Kalraj Mishra, Gehlot said party MLAs can express lack of confidence in the Chief Minister and seek his removal at the legislature party meeting in the presence of central observers, but if they demand a floor test in the Assembly, then they can attract disqualification since it shows their intention to topple the government with the help of the BJP.
Nineteen rebels have been issued notice by the Speaker and asked to respond by Friday. If the rebels are disqualified, it will be an advantage for the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan as the majority-mark in case of a floor test will be brought down.
The BJP, meanwhile, will go into a huddle today. Senior leaders including former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, BJP national vice president Om Mathur, state president Satish Poonia, Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Katariya, national joint general secretary (organisation) V Satish and state organisation secretary Chandrashekhar are expected to attend the meeting to decide the party strategy and future course of action.
A day after Congress leader Sachin Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister, Speaker C P Joshi's office has issued notice to rebel MLAs seeking their reply by July 17. The notice was learned to have been issued late yesterday. Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi had petitioned Speaker CP Joshi for disqualification of rebel MLAs yesterday. Sources said Gehlot and AICC observers Ajay Maken and Randeep Surjewala held many rounds of discussions with Abhishek Singhvi, party leader and lawyer, to draw up a plan for the legal battle. At the same time, the threat of disqualification, sources said, can be used to try and bring back some of the MLAs from the Pilot camp.