Gehlot to seek trust vote

New Delhi, August 13

Ahead of the Rajasthan Assembly session in Jaipur tomorrow, the Congress today put up a united face with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot saying he would bring a motion of confidence in the House and prove the majority of his government. The Congress may bring the motion as early as tomorrow.

BSP merger: Rajasthan High Court to resume hearing today

The Rajasthan High Court has posted for hearing on Friday the petitions filed by BJP MLA Madan Dilawar and the BSP challenging the merger of six MLAs with the Congress. The six MLAs contested and won the 2018 Assembly poll on BSP ticket, and defected to the Congress in September 2019.

Gehlot announced the decision at a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party attended this evening by former rebel Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissidents, who have returned to the party fold.

Suspension of 2 rebels revoked

The Congress on Thursday revoked the suspension of Bhanwarlal Sharma and Vishvendra Singh, two MLAs who had rebelled against the Ashok Gehlot government. They were suspended from the party’s primary membership last month over their alleged involvement in a “conspiracy” to topple the government in the state.

The Congress announcement, made hours after the BJP said it would bring a motion of no confidence, was seen as a move to counter the Opposition strategy.

CM Gehlot and former Deputy CM Pilot earlier shook hands at the former’s residence before attending the CLP meeting, where the CM asked everyone to “forgive and forget” and promised resolution of everyone’s grievances. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said the CLP meeting went well and the “Congress was united and determined to stall BJP’s designs in the House session where the CM will bring a motion of confidence”.

The numbers are stacked favourably for the Congress, which has 107 MLAs (including six BSP MLAs who “merged” with the party last year) in the 200-member Assembly. The BJP has 72 MLAs and its ally RLP has three. Despite low numbers, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Gulab Chand Kataria today said, “We will bring a motion of no confidence against the Gehlot government.” The decision was taken at the BJP Legislature Party meet. — TNS