Rajasthan Political Crisis LIVE Updates: Ready to Go to SC Over Merger of BSP MLAs to Teach Congress a Lesson, Says Mayawati; Gehlot Cabinet Meets on Guv's Conditions

Surjewala Amid Rajasthan Crisis | Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala today hit out at BJP, questioning the constitutional actions of Governors in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

राजस्थान में गवर्नर का संविधान-
- 21 दिन की पूर्व सूचना पर ही सत्र आहूत करने की अनुमति

मध्यप्रदेश में गवर्नर का संविधान-
- रात 1 बजे चिट्ठी लिखकर(6 घंटों में) सुबह 10 बजे सत्र बुलाने के निर्देश
- सरकार गिराने के बाद ही लॉकडाउन की घोषणा

सत्य बनाम सत्ता#BJPdestroysDemocracy

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) July 27, 2020

This is the second time that the governor has returned the proposal and sought clarifications from the state government.

Update | BJP leader Madan Dilawar files a second petition at Rajasthan High Court against the merger of six BSP MLAs in the state with Congress party. The High Court had yesterday dismissed his petition over the matter.

Gehlot Cabinet Meeting Begins | The state cabinet meeting begins, being led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, to discuss the Rajasthan governor's recommendations on state assembly session.

Mayawati: Asked 6 MLAs to Vote Against Congress | "We have asked the 6 MLAs, who are elected to Rajasthan Assembly on the symbol of BSP, to vote against Congress in any proceedings to be held during Rajasthan Assembly Session. If they don't do so, their party membership will be cancelled," BSP Chief Mayawati said.

BSP to Approach the Court | "BSP could have gone to the court earlier too but we were looking for a time to teach Congress party and CM Ashok Gehlot a lesson. Now we have decided to go to the Court. We will not leave this matter alone. We will go even to the Supreme Court," said BSP Chief Mayawati.

Mayawati to Speak on Party Action | BSP Supreme Mayawati will speak on her party's action amid the Rajasthan crisis, a day after her party moved the Rajasthan High Court to seek the disqualification of six MLAs who had merged with the Congress last year.

'Erosion of Democracy': Chidambaram | Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday expressed hope that the President will intervene and instruct the Rajasthan governor to convene a session of the state assembly. The former Union minister alleged that BJP-appointed governors have violated the letter and spirit of the Constitution and have in the process "gravely impaired" parliamentary democracy, its conventions and traditions.

UP Cong Chief, Rajya Sabha MP Arrested During Protest | Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, Rajya Sabha MP PL Punia and other party leaders were arrested on Monday while protesting outside the Raj Bhavan here over alleged attempts to topple the Rajasthan government, the party's media convener Lalan Kumar said.

Gehlot had also written a letter to the prime minister a few weeks after Sachin Pilot was stripped of his position as deputy chief minister and Rajasthan Congress chief.

Rajasthan CM Speaks to PM Modi | Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the current political situation in the state, while the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind. Gehlot had also written a letter to the prime minister on the matter a few days ago.

SC Allows Speaker to Withdraw Appeal | The Supreme Court allowed the Rajasthan Assembly Speaker on Monday to withdraw his appeal against the high court's order asking him to defer till July 24 the disqualification proceedings against sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 dissident Congress MLAs.

Sachin Pilot's Political Career Through Rare Interviews | Crux Files

Surejwala Says Democracy Under Attack | Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that "if Institutions “cross the Laxman Rekha”, democracy will cease to have any meaning. Can the Constitution survive the ‘assault’?"

Cabinet Meeting at 10am | The Cabinet will conduct a meeting at 10am at the residence of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to hold discussions over the state assembly session, and the recommendations of Governor Kalraj Mishra.

The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, or the anti-defection law, is currently at the core of the political crisis in Rajasthan. Sachin Pilot has legally challenged the disqualification notice issued to him and 18 other "rebel" Congress MLAs, claiming he cannot be said to have "voluntarily given up his membership" [para 2(1)(a) of the anti-defection law] just because he expressed dissenting opinions. Read more here.

The protests came amidst a power tussle in Rajasthan where the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress dispensation in facing a crisis after a rebellion by the now sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18…

Avinash Pande on Rajasthan Crisis | Congress general secretary Avinash Pandey said the Congress will use all available democratic means to resolve the current political deadlock in the state. "We will use all the Gandhian weapons of democracy in a peaceful manner," Pande said at a press conference.

''Rebel MLAs in Touch With Congress Leaders' | Congress general secretary Avinash Pande on Monday claimed that many among the 19 rebel MLAs, led by ousted deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, was in touch with the party leaders. Pandey, also the party's state's in charge, said the Congress will use all available democratic means to resolve the current political deadlock in the state.

Congress Protests Against BJP 'Toppling Govts' | The Congress on Monday staged protests outside Raj Bhawans across the country against what it called the BJP's attempts to topple state governments led by opposition parties. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal alleged the BJP was using "money power and intimidation" in its bid to topple governments in states.

Rajasthan HC Dismisses BJP MLA's Plea | The Rajasthan High Court on Monday dismissed a plea of a BJP MLA questioning the alleged inaction of the state assembly Speaker on his complaint challenging his decision to allow the merger of all six BSP MLAs with the Congress in 2019. A bench of Justice Mahendra Kumar Goyal dismissed the BJP MLA Madan Dilawar's plea as "having become infructuous" after the legislator's counsel Harish Salve told the court that his client was informed by the Speaker's secretariat that an order dismissing his complaint has been passed.

Petition Filed in HC for Removal of Mishra as Governor | A city-based lawyer has filed a petition in the Rajasthan High Court seeking directions to the central government to advise the President to remove Governor Kalraj Mishra. The petitioner, Shantanu Pareek, claimed that the governor has failed to fulfil his constitutional obligations by not calling a session of the Assembly as recommended by the state cabinet.

Accordingly, the governor has returned the revised Cabinet recommendations for calling the session and suggested the government to act on three suggestions, including a 21-day notice for calling it.

'How Will Social Distancing Be Fulfilled?' | The governor also asked the government to clarify how the social distancing norms would be fulfilled during the session. Mishra said as per his knowledge, the seating arrangements for 200 MLAs and 1,000 employees are not in such a manner that social distancing norms can be fulfilled whereas the government guidelines and provisions of Disaster Management Act are required to be followed to contain the spread of the pandemicto Mishra on Saturday night for calling the assembly session from July 31.

'Video Recording of Assembly Proceeding' | The second suggestion is about the video recording the assembly proceeding and the live streaming of the process of the floor test if it happens. The entire process of the floor test should be held in the presence of the principal secretary of the Parliamentary Affairs Department and through "Yes" and "No" buttons only, the release said.

'21-Day Notice' | The governor said the assembly session should be called after giving a 21-day notice so that equality to all as per the Article 14 of the Constitution can be ensured, the official said. He also suggested that a healthy debate on important social and political issues can be held online as well, as the Supreme court and high courts are doing to avoid the spread of Covid-19.

Rajasthan Govenor on Vote of Confidence | "If the government wants to win a vote of confidence, then it can become a reasonable ground for calling the assembly session on short notice," the statement by Raj Bhawan added. It further quoted the governor as observing that the revised Cabinet recommendations sent by the government do not mention seeking a vote of confidence as the purpose for calling the session but it is clear from the statements in the media that the government wants to go for it.

Rajasthan Governor Seeks New Cabinet Proposal | Conceding that securing a vote of confidence can be a reasonable ground for calling an assembly session on short notice, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Monday returned the Cabinet recommendation and sought another, incorporating a 21-day notice period for calling the session for a floor test, a Raj Bhawan statement said.