NEW DELHI:  With the Rajasthan High Court bench slated to resume hearing on a petition filed by rebel Congress lawmakers against a batch of disqualification notices slapped on them by Speaker C P Joshi, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is learnt to be weighing options to call a short Assembly session if the court rules against the notices.

According to party sources, Gehlot is looking at all options on the table, including legal, in the event of an adverse verdict.

“The Rajasthan government will call an Assembly session and the Congress will issue whip to all MLAs to attend. If Sachin Pilot and his group of MLAs defy, they will be disqualified. Even if they attend but vote against or abstain when Gehlot seeks a confidence vote, they will get disqualified,” said sources.

The assumption is Gehlot will sail through during the floor test even without the votes of rebels.

After having stated last week he has the support of 102 lawmakers, including allies and Independents but excluding rebels, the crafty chief minister roped in the two-member Bharatiya Tribal Party on Sunday, increasing his comfort level.

The simple majority mark in the 200-member House is 101. The whip is meant to stamp out rebellion one way or the other.

The court had on Friday deferred hearing till Monday and directed the Speaker not to take any action in the matter till Tuesday.

The Speaker’s notice was based on a disqualification petition sent to him by the party’s Chief Whip under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, there has been no direct communication between Pilot and the party’s top leadership but intermediaries are still in play.

“The central leadership wants him to stay but he is sticking to his demand to be named the chief minister while the majority of the MLAs are with Gehlot,” said a party leader.

However, unlike Jyotiraditya Scindia, Pilot has not said anything against the party or its top leadership. Last week, Gehlot sacked him as deputy CM and state party unit chief.