Rajasthan Crisis LIVE: Action shifts to SC; BSP issues whip to 6 MLAs to vote against Gehlot
It is a big day for Rajasthan politics with the apex court all set to resume hearing on the matter of the disqualification of 19 MLAs including Sachin Pilot as requested by the Rajasthan Assembly speaker. The Supreme Court will hear the matter after Rajasthan Assembly speaker CP Joshi filed a plea challenging the Rajasthan High Court's order against the disqualification of 19 rebel Congress MLAs. As Congress is occupied with rebellions from within, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which had its 6 MLAs support the Ashok Gehlot government in the state has decided to pull out the support. BSP supremo Mayawati has issued a whip to 6 of its MLAs to vote against the Gehlot government if it comes to a floor test.
Meanwhile, the uncertainty over the possibility of a floor test continues with the Governor unwilling to call an assembly session citing health reasons in light of the coronavirus pandemic. IndiaTVnews.com brings to you all the live updates as the action unfolds in Jaipur and Delhi.
HIGHLIGHTS:
06:07 PM: 10-15 MLAs of Ashok Gehlot camp are in contact with us & are saying they will come to our side as soon as they are set free. If Gehlot removes restrictions, it'll become clear how many MLAs remain on their side: Hemaram Choudhary, MLA, Sachin Pilot camp
04:00 PM: Rajasthan Governor asks State Government to deliberate on three aspects- 21-day notice period before convening session, maintaining social distancing norms and certain conditions to be followed, in case confidence motion is moved.
03:30 PM: Governor has no discretion: Chidambaram on Rajasthan crisis.
Addressing a press conference, Chidambaram said, "I sincerely hope that honorable President of India will instruct the governor to perform his duty."
The Governor has no "discretion" in the matter. The questions that the Governor had raised to stall the request were irrelevant and beyond his authority, Chidambaram said.
"Governor's current stand that the law gives him a 'discretion' to summon the assembly or not is a complete distortion of the law declared by the Courts," asserted Chidambaram.
03:00 PM: Rajasthan Governor has called for a state assembly session.
Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra orders State Government to call for an Assembly Session. Not convening the Assembly was never the intention: Raj Bhawan, Rajasthan
12:00 PM: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) moves Rajasthan High Court seeking to become a party in the petition by BJP against the merger of six BSP MLAs in the state with Congress party.
11.34 AM: Congress leaders, including its Delhi unit chief Anil Kumar, were detained while trying to march to the Lieutenant Governor's office in Civil Lines here, in a protest against the BJP's alleged move to topple the Rajasthan government. The protest was held against the "anti-democratic and anti-constitutional" actions of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to topple the democratically-elected Congress government in Rajasthan, Kumar said.
11.07 AM: The Congress Party has withdrawn its Supreme Court petition against rebel MLAs. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Rajasthan speaker, CP Joshi has informed Justice Arun Mishra-led bench that they are withdrawing petition after Rajasthan HC order on July 24.
10:14 AM: Rajasthan Raj Bhawan returns the files related to the convening of the Assembly Session, to Parliamentary Affairs Department of the state. Raj Bhawan also seeks some additional details from the state govt. No decision has been taken yet on the Assembly Session: ANI Sources
08:35 AM: The Rajasthan High Court will be hearing a petition filed by the BSP leader Madan Dilawar on 6 BSP MLAs who left the party to join Congress in 2019.
08:25 AM: Hearing in the Supreme Court slated for today
