India / CM Gehlot submits fresh proposal to start Rajasthan assembly session on July 31

Jaipur: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has requested Governor Kalraj Mishra to start a session of the state assembly to discuss bills, including one on the coronavirus pandemic, without mentioning a floor test, reports said on Sunday.

Gehlot asked him to start a session of the state assembly from July 31, according to news agency ANI.

Rajasthan is facing a political crisis due to a rebellion by Sachin Pilot and a section of Congress legislators supporting the former deputy chief minister.

The Gehlot camp, which is confident of its numbers and feels a floor test may be its best bet to end the political crisis, has said the governor is delaying convening a session due to pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government.

Mishra has denied the charge, saying he will follow constitutional norms to convene the House.

The governor had turned down the earlier proposal sent by the Congress government and said that it did not mention a date or a reason.

Congress functionaries aware of the developments said on Saturday that the Rajasthan government has addressed Mishra’s queries on the urgent need for holding a special session of the assembly.

Legislators supporting chief minister Gehlot had on Friday staged a five-hour demonstration at Raj Bhavan to push for their demand for a special sitting.

Gehlot had told MLAs at a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Saturday that he was ready to knock at the doors of the President’s House and protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence in the national capital to defeat the BJP’s “conspiracy” to topple his government, according to the Congress functionaries who did not want to be named.

The BJP has denied the Congress’ allegations and said that an internal feud has triggered the current crisis. On his part, Pilot had said he has no plans of joining the BJP.

Gehlot has the support of 101 members, excluding Speaker CP Joshi. Pilot has the backing of 18 Congress MLAs and three Independents, taking his tally to 22.

The BJP and its ally Rashtriya Loktrantrik Party have 75 seats. Bhanwarlal Meghwal, one Congress MLA said to be close to Pilot, is indisposed.

If Pilot’s tally is added to that of the opposition alliance, it takes their number up to 97.

A three-member swing from the Gehlot camp to the Pilot camp or to the BJP could lead to the government falling in the event of a floor test.