A late night cabinet meeting in Rajasthan at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence has concluded. In the meeting, an approval has been given for the proposal to call the assembly session. The proposal will be sent to the Rajasthan governor again.
Earlier in the day, Ashok Gehlot said he had requested an assembly session from Monday and accused Governor Kalraj Mishra of delaying his decision because he was "under pressure from the top" to stall a test of strength. "We requested him to call a session in a letter yesterday and we waited all night, but there was no response. It is beyond comprehension what kind of forces would compel him to delay such a simple process," the Chief Minister said, alleging a BJP conspiracy.
To build pressure, the Chief Minister and around 100 Congress MLAs drove to the Governor's House in buses for a show of strength. "Gehlot keep fighting, we are with you. Call a session," the MLAs chanted as they waited for the Governor inside the Raj Bhawan.
"We have a clear majority and we want the assembly to start from Monday. Doodh ka doodh aur pani ka pani ho jayega (everything will be crystal clear)," Mr Gehlot told the media before heading to the Governor's house.
The Rajasthan High Court has said that no action can be taken against Sachin Pilot and other rebel Congress leaders for now, giving a major reprieve for the rebel leaders in the disqualification case. The court said there will be "status quo" until its decision on the rebels' petition against disqualification notices.
The verdict, which was expected today, has been delayed after the court accepted team Pilot's eleventh-hour request to add the centre to the case so it can weigh in on whether the anti-defection law applies to them.
The rebels have argued in court that such notices cannot be served by a Speaker when the assembly is not in session. They have challenged a rule that allows the Speaker to disqualify members if they have "voluntarily given up the party's membership". They say they do not intend to quit the Congress; they only want a change in the leadership.
The Speaker had attempted to get the High Court verdict blocked in the Supreme Court, but the top court refused to intervene, saying it would take up the case again on Monday. But the High Court ruling will be subject to the final order of the Supreme Court.
