Deepening the Rajasthan political crisis, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has accused the Governor of being under pressure to not call an Assembly session. Gehlot also claimed that some rebel Congress MLAs are anxious to return to the party fold.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on July 24 accused Governor Kalraj Mishra of being under pressure to not call a state Legislative Assembly session.
Gehlot said the state government had requested the governor to call an Assembly session but he has not yet issued the order.
"We want an assembly session from Monday," he told reporters outside the hotel where the legislators supporting him are camping.
"The governor is not giving orders for calling assembly session under pressure," he added.
The chief minister said that all Congress legislators in his support are going to the Raj Bhawan to make a collective request for calling the session.
Gehlot also said that the Congress and its allies have a majority in the House and a section of its Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are anxious to return to the party fold but are being held captive in a hotel in Haryana.
He added that he has learnt these MLAs want to "break free of their captivity" and go along with the government.
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All constitutional and legal options are open before the state government and will be resorted to "as and when necessary", the chief minister told news agency PTI as uncertainty persists over the future of his government following a rebellion by his now sacked deputy Sachin Pilot.
Earlier in the day, the Rajasthan High Court accepted a request by Pilot and other rebel Congress MLAs to make the Centre a party in the case.
This has led to a delay in pronouncement of the verdict, with the matter likely to be taken up next week.
(With inputs from PTI)