‘Listen to the people’s voice, they have elected you’: Gehlot in letter to MLAs

Amid the severe political crisis, which Rajasthan has witnessed over the past few weeks, after Pilot’s open rebellion against the chief minister, the assembly session in the state will begin on August 14. The Rajasthan chief minister will probably seek a floor test to prove his majority in the 200-member assembly.

Barely a few days before the Rajasthan Assembly session is due to commence, chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday appealed to all Congress legislators to save the democratic set-up of governance and to listen to the voice of people who had elected them.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot interacts with the media in Jaisalmer. (HT PHOTO.)

“My appeal to all MLAs is that to save democracy, to maintain people’s confidence in us and to avoid wrong traditions, you should listen to the voice of the people,” Gehlot wrote in a letter to all MLAs

Gehlot has been locked in a bitter power tussle with his erstwhile deputy Sachin Pilot with about 100 Congress MLAs supporting him. The Congress legislators loyal to Gehlot are currently lodged in a Jaisalmer hotel as the party has accused the BJP of horse-trading following the open revolt by Pilot and 18 MLAs in his camp.

Amid the severe political crisis, which Rajasthan has witnessed over the past few weeks, after Pilot’s open rebellion against the chief minister, the assembly session in the state will begin on August 14. The Rajasthan chief minister will probably seek a floor test to prove his majority in the 200-member assembly.

Former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot was removed from his post and also sacked as the president of the state unit of the Congress party after he and some legislators loyal to him rebelled against CM Gehlot.

“You may be a legislator from any political party, you should ensure and take a decision after understanding the voter’s feeling about how a people’s elected government continues to work strongly for the state’s welfare,” Gehlot said, stressing that efforts to topple the elected government had not been successful in Rajasthan.

Ahead of the assembly session, nearly six BJP MLAs from Rajasthan have shifted to Porbandar in Gujarat.

BJP MLA Nirmal Kumawat had alleged that the Congress government in Rajasthan was “harassing” opposition MLAs, and said they were on a pilgrimage to Somnath to seek mental peace.