The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is set to move a confidence motion in the Rajasthan Assembly during the session beginning today. The session was announced Thursday at the Congress Legislature Party meeting chaired by Gehlot. Just hours earlier, the opposition BJP said it will move a no-confidence motion during the session. The session comes days after the top leadership of the Congress announced the return of Sachin Gehlot and 18 other dissident MLAs to the party-fold.
Pilot had led a rebellion against Gehlot, seeking a change in the party’s leadership in Rajasthan. At the CLP meeting held at his residence, Gehlot urged Congress MLAs to forget the acrimony of the past month and move on.
The party has 107 MLAs in the 200 member assembly.
Earlier on Thursday, the much-awaited meeting between Gehlot and former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot took place, two days after Pilot returned from Delhi. The meet came as a happy ending to the over a month-long political uncertainty in the state.
The two leaders met before the Congress legislative party meeting at Gehlot's house.
At the meeting, Gehlot gave a call to forget the past, saying, "'Apne To Apne Hote Hain'. We could have proved majority on the floor of the House even without these 19 MLAs, but then there would have been no happiness around."
Gehlot further said, "We will move the confidence motion ourselves. We shall also resolve the grievances of our MLAs who are annoyed with us."
BSP issues whip to 6 defector MLAs in Rajasthan
Meanwhile, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has issued a whip to its erstwhile MLAs to vote against the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan in case a floor test is held during the Assembly session that will begin on Friday.
The six BSP MLAs had merged with the Congress last year. The BSP has termed it illegal.
The whip has been issued by party General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra. He has directed the six MLAs to vote as per the whip issued under section 2(1)(a) of the Tenth schedule or face disqualification proceeding under 2(1)(b) of the tenth schedule.
The matter also came up before the Supreme Court but did not pass any order since the matter was already pending before the Rajasthan High Court.
