Ahead of the crucial Rajasthan Assembly session which could witness a floor test, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday wrote a letter to all MLAs appealing to them to “stand by the truth” and defeat the attempts being made to topple his government. Mr. Gehlot asked the legislators to listen to people’s voice to save democracy.

Mr. Gehlot sought the cooperation of all MLAs, cutting across party lines, in fulfilling the promises for the development and prosperity of the State. “People’s mandate is the supreme command. I expect you to understand the sentiments of your family members and the electorate of your constituencies to ensure that the government elected by the people continues to work.

“Victory and defeat are part of elections. You may be an MLA from any political party but you should stand by the truth and act in the larger interests of people.” He said Prime Ministers like Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had faced defeats in elections but they never allowed democratic traditions and constitutional values to weaken. 

The Congress government is likely to seek a confidence vote during the Assembly session beginning on August 14 amid the political turmoil caused by the rebellion of former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs supporting him. Though Mr. Gehlot seems confident of majority, the legislators supporting him have been sequestered at a resort near Jaisalmer.

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The Chief Minister said six Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs had joined the Congress last year by following all norms and in the interest of a stable government. While the merger was within the parameters of law, there was no justification for the attempts to destabilise the government by horse-trading of MLAs, he said.

Big split in the BJP: CM

Mr. Gehlot questioned the shifting of BJP MLAs to Gujarat and alleged that the Opposition party was ridden with factionalism. “I can see a big split in the BJP... They are setting the traditions which are dangerous for democracy,” he told reporters in Jaisalmer.

Mr. Gehlot said there was “anger in every household” against the BJP leaders and against those who had staged a rebellion in the Congress and left. He expressed the hope that most of the dissident MLAs would return to the party fold.

Asked about the Special Operation Group (SOG) notices issued to some of the rebel MLAs in connection with the alleged horse-trading, Mr. Gehlot said the investigating agencies just wanted to talk to them but it was projected as if a sedition case had been registered against them. The case has since been transferred from the SOG to the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

The BJP — which has sent 18 of its MLAs in the last two days to the party-ruled Gujarat — has decided to convene its Legislature Party meeting here on August 11. Leader of the Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria has written to all the party legislators to attend the meeting.