The Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan administration on Tuesday sent a new recommendation for the third time to Governor Kalraj Mishra for calling an Assembly session from July 31, according to several reports. The revised proposal was sent after the state Cabinet deliberated on the concerns that Mishra had raised when he returned the state government’s second proposal on Monday.
“The revised note was forwarded to the Raj Bhawan on Tuesday after approval from the Cabinet,” unidentified sources told PTI. However, the note reportedly does not mention whether the state government wants a vote of confidence in the Assembly. The party seemingly pushed for the session to be reconvened on July 31.
In response to the governor’s query on holding a session during the outbreak of the coronavirus, the state government said that “it is the prerogative of the Speaker”, according to The Indian Express. The state’s proposal also contains the replies to the other suggestions that the governor made while returning the files related to convening an Assembly session.
During Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, the state’s leaders discussed that the Gehlot-led administration had the right to call an Assembly session. “We have formulated replies to the governor’s concerns,” Rajasthan Minister Harish Chaudhary told NDTV after the Cabinet meeting. “It is our right to call the Assembly. How the session will be held is the Speaker’s prerogative. We want the session on July 31.”
Mishra had on Monday said that he would summon a state Assembly session only if the government gave a 21-day notice to the legislators. This was among three suggestions that the governor made while returning the files related to convening an Assembly session to the state’s Parliamentary Affairs department, seeking additional information from the Congress government.
Among his comments on the files, the governor asked if Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wanted a floor test or confidence motion, as he had not mentioned it in the reasons given for reconvening the state Assembly. Gehlot had submitted the second proposal to Mishra on Sunday, in which he said the session should be convened to discuss bills, including one related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mishra made two other suggestions – the live broadcasting of the floor test if it takes place, and necessary precautions in seating arrangements in the Vidhan Sabha during the coronavirus outbreak.
Gehlot had requested Mishra to convene a session of the state Assembly last week. However, the governor had turned down the request, as it mentioned neither a date for the commencement of the session nor any reasons for it. The chief minister wanted the session to begin on July 31. Gehlot told reporters before his meeting with the governor on July 24 that Mishra was under pressure “from above” – a reference to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government.
Gehlot, who had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 23, spoke to him on Monday about the governor’s conduct. The Congress Legislature Party submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind.
The Rajasthan crisis
The Congress government in Rajasthan has been on the brink of collapse ever since former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot rebelled against Gehlot and proceeded with a few MLAs to Delhi earlier this month. Pilot was sacked as the Rajasthan deputy chief minister and as the Congress’ state unit chief on July 14. The next day, Assembly Speaker CP Joshi sent disqualification notices to Pilot and 18 other legislators.
The notices were served after the MLAs defied a whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings to resolve the political crisis in the state. However, the MLAs said that a party whip applies only when the Assembly is in session.
In filings before the Rajasthan High Court, the legislators sought to quash the notices, arguing that they had neither given up their membership of the House nor did their failure to attend two Congress meetings make them liable for disqualification on the ground of defection. They added that elected representatives of the people cannot be removed from his post on the whims and fancies of their party’s leadership.
On July 24, Pilot and 18 other dissident MLAs got partial relief from the High Court, which ordered Joshi to maintain the status quo on the disqualification notices. The court order put the disqualification procedure on hold till the Supreme Court passed its verdict on the Speaker’s plea. However, Joshi withdrew his plea in the top court asking for intervention, minutes before the hearing was supposed to begin.
The Congress has 107 MLAs in the Rajasthan Assembly – including the six Bahujan Samaj Party turncoats – following Pilot’s revolt. The majority mark in the 200-member House is 101.
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