Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had met Governor Kalraj Mishra on Thursday too. (File)
Highlights
- Governor not convening Assembly, "pressure from above": Ashok Gehlot
- Mr Gehlot said he had even requested an assembly session from Monday
- The Governor told NDTV that he had not said "no" to Mr Gehlot's request
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said today he had requested an assembly session from Monday and accused Governor Kalraj Mishra of delaying the decision because he was "under pressure from the top" to stall a test of strength. "We requested him to call a session in a letter yesterday and we waited all night, but there was no response. It is beyond comprehension what kind of forces would compel him to delay such a simple process," the Chief Minister said, alleging a BJP conspiracy.
"We have a clear majority and we want the assembly to start from Monday. Doodh ka doodh aur pani ka pani ho jayega (everything will be crystal clear)," Mr Gehlot said, before heading to the Governor's house with Congress MLAs.
The Governor, responding to the charge, told NDTV that he had not said "no" to Mr Gehlot's request. "I have not decided yet. Whatever I do will be according to the rules," Kalraj Mishra said.
Mr Gehlot said he had even requested the Governor on the phone to call an assembly session without delay. "I told him you must follow your conscience and preserve the decorum of your constitutional post We are going with all our MLAs to make a collective request. The people of Rajasthan are with us. If the masses surround the Raj Bhawan in protest, we will not be responsible," said the Chief Minister.
Mr Gehlot, 69, is going all out for a test of strength after Sachin Pilot and other Congress rebels threatening his government won a reprieve from the High Court today. The Speaker cannot act on disqualification notices sent to the rebels for now, the court said, ordering "status quo". This means the Speaker cannot take any action until the larger constitutional question of his powers is decided. That question will be taken up by the Supreme Court on Monday.
Before leaving for the Governor's house, Mr Gehlot gave a pep-talk to Congress MLAs at Fairmont Resort in Jaipur, where he has been guarding his flock since Sachin Pilot launched his revolt.
Mr Gehlot believes he has the numbers to retain power if a test of strength is held now. If he does win, there cannot be any vote for the next six months.
The Congress is also banking on rules that could force the rebels to follow the party whip in the house or risk being disqualified.
Mr Gehlot's meeting with the Governor yesterday was the third since the rebel crisis broke out nearly two weeks ago. But Raj Bhawan sources said the Chief Minister "had not discussed any dates".
The Chief Minister said he expected some of the dissident MLAs to return to the fold. "The rebels have been calling us for help. They want to be freed. They are being guarded by bouncers and the police, their phones have been seized," Mr Gehlot claimed.
The Congress has a narrow lead over the opposition and has only two more than the majority mark of 101 in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly. Team Pilot claims 30 MLAs but so far, only 19 MLAs have been confirmed as rebels. The BJP has 72. Including smaller parties and independent members, the opposition has 97 at the moment.
If team Pilot is disqualified, it will help the Chief Minister by bringing the majority mark down. But if they win the case to vote as Congress MLAs, they can endanger the government.
In a separate development that could affect Mr Gehlot's tally, a BJP MLA has petitioned the High Court against the merger of a group of six MLAs of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with the Congress. The BSP MLAs had joined the Congress last year, pushing up its overall tally.
