Rajasthan political crisis LIVE updates: As the country is combatting coronavirus pandemic, a new political crisis has erupted in Rajasthan. CM Ashok Gehlot has alleged the BJP of conspiring to topple his government by indulging in horse-trading, a charge denied by the opposition party. Meanwhile, claiming that the party has support of 109 MLAs, Rajasthan Congress has issued whip to MLAs for CLP meeting today
It is reportedly said that there are some ego clashes going on between Gehlot and Sachin.
The leaders admit that there is “deep distrust” between the two, manifested multiple times in the last one-and-a-half years. Referring to Scindia’s exit in MP, a former Union minister and AICC general secretary went to the extent of saying that “nothing is guaranteed in such situations”.
The tussle between Gehlot and Pilot began much before the Congress came to power in Rajasthan in December 2018. The feud came to the fore during candidate selection for the Assembly elections, too, and escalated when the high command decided to give the experienced Gehlot a third shot at Chief Ministership, with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections around the corner.
This move comes four months after Congress government in Madhya Pradesh was toppled by Pilot’s peer – Jyotiraditya Scindia and 22 MLAs who resigned from their posts.
The tussle between Congress and BJP began last month in the run-up to Rajya Sabha elections, with the former levelling similar allegations of horsetrading against the latter. However, both the Congress candidates, KC Venugopal and Neeraj Dangi, had won the Rajya Sabha polls, while the BJP had managed to secure one seat for Rajendra Gehlot in the Rajya Sabha polls. In the assembly of 200, the Congress has 107 MLAs, including six who defected to the party from the BSP last year. The party enjoys the support of 12 of the 13 Independent MLAs in the state, while BJP has 72 MLAs and RLP has 3 MLAs.
He doesn't allow young leaders in Congress to grow. He feels that if educated and able leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot get high posts then he will be left behind," said BJP leader Uma Bharti.
A total of 102 MLAs have turned up in support of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, sources say. Congress MLAs in this tally are 92. Ten independent MLAs are also in his support, sources add.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala says - "If anyone, be at any post or profile, has any problem, they must come forward and mention the issue on the party forum. We will work to resolve it together and keep our govt intact in the state."
If anyone, be at any post or profile, has any problem, they must come forward and mention the issue on the party forum: Randeep Surjewala
The Rajasthan Government chief whip Mahesh Joshi has condemned ncome tax raids on premises linked to two Congress leaders, reports PTI
The posters and banners of Sachin Pilot has been removed from PCC headquarters
The MLA is a Gehlot loyalist.
"People of Rajasthan had given an opportunity to Congress to form govt in the state, they should have used it properly."
Congress President Sonia Gandhi has specially assigned me a task. She has said that if any Congrees MLA or any alliance MLA has any problem or wants to discuss their problem, they can come, talk to me and we can work on it:Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey
Former union minister and BJP MP from Jaipur (Rural) Rajyavardhan Rathore on Sunday said that Congress party in the Rajasthan had brought its infighting out into the open and the party has always been more concerned with its "Sarkar Bachao Karyakram" (Save the government scheme rather than addressing the problems of the people.
As many as 109 MLAs have signed the letter to express full confidence in the Congress government led by CM Ashok Gehlot and in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi: Congress leader Avinash Pande
Amid a power tussle in the Rajasthan government, sources close to Sachin Pilot said the letter asking the deputy chief minister to appear for questioning in a probe into alleged attempts to destabilize his own government has "crossed all limits" and made it "untenable" for those MLAs supporting him to work under Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
“Notices from the SOG have come to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Whip and some other ministers and MLAs in the context of the Congress Legislature Party complaining of horse-trading by BJP leaders. It is not appropriate to present it differently by some media,” says CM Gehlot.
Congress MLA Ameen Kagazi said that along with Sachin Pilot, 18 more MLAs wants to meet the party high command amid ongoing political upheaval.
Ramesh Chand Meena, the Minister of Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs in Rajasthan, has also received a notice by the SOG over an allegation that the BJP is trying to topple the Rajasthan government.
Special Operations Group (SOG) of Police wrote to Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on July 10 seeking his availability for recording his statement in connection with the alleged attempts to topple Congress government in the state, ANI reports.
Congress Party’s Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Pandey said, "The BJP is trying to destabilise the Gehlot govt but will never succeed. All MLAs have expressed faith in the party [Congress]."