Amid political crisis, Rajasthan legislators meet CM Ashok Gehlot in Jaipur

In the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and has the support of another 18, taking its tally to 125.

Hectic activity was seen at Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s residence in Jaipur on Sunday with several legislators and ministers arriving to meet him to convey that they were with the chief minister in the hour of crisis.

The officials posted at the chief minister’s residence said as many as 95 lawmakers have given a letter of support to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the midst of a political turmoil in the state. (ANI PHOTO.)

The officials posted at the chief minister’s residence said that as many as 95 legislators have given a letter of support to Gehlot, which is said to be another show of strength.

In the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and has the support of another 18, taking its tally to 125. The BJP has 72 legislators and is supported by three MLAs of Hanuman Beniwal’s RSLP. In the Rajya Sabha elections on June 19, the two Congress candidates got votes of all 125 legislators supporting the government.

Some disgruntled Congress MLAs are, however camping in Delhi, party sources have indicated.

“The ministers and MLA are meeting the CM. Most of the party legislators and independent MLAs have met the CM since yesterday. Around 95 of 107 MLAs have in written expressed faith on the party and his leadership,” said a close aide of the government.

Independent MLA Babu Lal Nagar, said, “We are meeting the CM to express faith and confidence in his leadership. The MLAs have confidence in Gehlot’s leadership.”

Nagar said that he has also received a notice by Special Operation Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police for his statement. The SOG has already issued a notice to the CM, deputy CM and chief whip for recording statements in connection with the matter.

The Special Operation Group had registered an FIR on its own on Friday in connection with attempts to topple the state government, on the basis of facts that came up during interception of two mobile numbers.

Sources claimed that SOG has issued notices to all independents MLAs for their statements.

The Congress government has distanced itself from three independent MLAs- Khushveer Singh, Omprakash Hudla and Suresh Tak, who have been named in the preliminary enquiry (PE) registered by the anti-corruption bureau, in connection with offering money to other MLAs on behalf of BJP to destabilize the state government, on Saturday. “The government no longer considers them as supporters,” a Congress leader said.

The political crisis began on Saturday after chief minister Ashok Gehlot held a press conference and blamed the BJP leadership for trying to topple his elected government. The allegation was, however, denied by the BJP.