India / No action for now against Pilot, 18 rebel MLAs; maintain status quo: Raj HC

Jaipur: The Rajasthan high court on Friday ordered status quo to be maintained in the disqualification case against Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident Congress MLAs.

With this order, the court has barred Speaker CP Joshi from acting on the July 14 disqualification notices. The order came after the high court agreed to Pilot’s request to make Centre a party to the case. The application was moved by Pilot on the ground that Tenth Schedule’s constitutional validity was under challenge and therefore, the Union of India was a necessary party.

Pilot and 18 other dissident MLAs had challenged a disqualification notice given by the Speaker in the high court. The notice was given on the request of Congress’ chief whip who said Pilot and his supporters did not attend the party’s CLP meetings.

The Pilot camp, however, argued that a party whip applies only when the assembly is in session.

In the last hearing, the high court had asked the Speaker to wait for its verdict on Friday before taking any action against Team Pilot.

The Speaker had sent notices to Pilot and 18 MLAs under the anti-defection law after the chief whip’s application for their disqualification. The MLAs were earlier asked to present before the Speaker on July 17, but the same was deferred in view of the hearing before the high court.

The development had come even as Rajasthan Congress is in turmoil after simmering differences between Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open.