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Petition challenges 6 BSP MLAs merger with Congress as Gehlot eyes floor test
Rajasthan government is battling dissidence by 19 Congress MLAs led by Sachin Pilot.
BJP MLA Madan Dilawar moved Rajasthan High Court on Friday to challenge merger of six BSP MLAs with the Congress party in September last year. The petitioner also questioned the assembly speaker’s alleged inaction following his complaint seeking disqualification of these six legislators under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution in March this year.
The bench of Justice Mahendra Kumar Goyal will hear the petition on Monday.
According to the petition, speaker CP Joshi declared six BSP MLAs – Sandeep Yadav, (Tijara), Wajib Ali (Nagar), Deepchand Kheria (Kisangarh Bas), Lakhan Meena (Karauli) and Rajendra Gudha (Udaipurwati) – as having merged with the Congress on September 18, 2019.
Dilawar, MLA from Ramganj Mandi constituency in Kota district, has challenged the validity, legality and correctness of the speaker’s order.
Earlier, he moved a petition before the speaker on March 16 under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India to pray for disqualification of these six MLAs. That remains still undecided.
The petitioner questions the delay in deciding his petition citing the recent instance of the speaker issuing notices to 19 Congress MLAs led by Sachin Pilot on the same day of receiving a petition for their disqualification from party chief whip Mahesh Joshi.
The petitioner has prayed to the HC to stay the speaker’s merger order during the pendency of the writ petition in the interest of justice and law.
The Congress has 107 MLAs in the 200-member assembly, including these six BSP MLAs; 19 Congress MLAs have turned rebel against chief minister Ashok Gehlot and are housed in a resort in Manesar. A decision on the BSP legislators’ status may impact the strength of Gehlot camp in the house.
