Verdict in Sachin Pilot, MLAs’ disqualification notice at 10:30 am tomorrow

Earlier today, the Supreme Court allowed the high court to rule on the petition filed by team Pilot against the speaker’s disqualification notice, adding that it would be subject to the outcome of the petition before the top court.

The action in Rajasthan drama moves back to the desert state with the state high court set to pronounce its verdict on Friday at 10:30 am on the writ petition moved by rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and 18 dissident MLAs challenging the speaker’s disqualification notice to them.

The Pilot camp has argued that they cannot be disqualified for merely disagreeing with the decisions of some leaders outside the assembly.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court allowed the high court to rule on the petition filed by team Pilot against the speaker’s disqualification notice, adding that it would be subject to the outcome of the petition before the top court.

The Pilot camp has argued that they cannot be disqualified for merely disagreeing with the decisions of some leaders outside the assembly. They also say issuance of disqualification notice by the speaker is a violation of their freedom of speech right. Their lawyers further argued that the lawmakers were given only three days’ time to reply during Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier, defying party whip, Team Pilot skipped the two Congress legislature party meetings but underscored that they have not given up their membership of the house. The writ petition challenges the speaker’s notice to rebel MLAs as well as the disqualification on the grounds of defection.

If the rebel MLAs are disqualified, the majority mark in the 200-member assembly will automatically come down, making it easier for chief minister Ashok Gehlot to win a floor test.

The number of lawmakers present at the two Congress legislature party meetings indicated that the Gehlot government would be able to stay in power even if with a wafer-thin majority. At the third meeting held this week, Gehlot urged the legislators to stand firm like a rock as the country is watching them.

The Rajasthan CM hasn’t put a number of lawmakers on his side yet. “You’ll get to know the exact number when we win the floor test by a thumping majority. This time, every MLA will hear the voice of his conscience and vote,” Gehlot told HT on Monday.

Sachin Pilot was stripped of his posts in the government and the party after, according to the Congress, he turned down peace overtures from the party leadership that asked him to make it clear that he was a ‘loyal soldier’ of the Congress and not working with the BJP.

Encouraged by the support of the party, Gehlot has been launching sharp attacks on Sachin Pilot in an effort to dent his image as the Congress leader who led the party to victory in the 2018 state elections. Pilot was tasked to rebuild the Rajasthan Congress chief in 2014.

Gehlot, who has accused Pilot of conspiring with the BJP to bring down his government, said his former deputy had used his command over the language and “his innocent face” to convince the media that he had worked hard to get the party in power. This wasn’t a fact, the chief minister said. “We knew he is nikamma (worthless) and nakara [good for nothing],” Gehlot told reporters on Monday.