Ashok Gehlot pilots new strategy to pressure Sachin's MLAs; may whip up Assembly session

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday evening called on Governor Kalraj Mishra, amid a brewing political crisis in the Congress-ruled state. The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes. A Raj Bhavan spokesperson said it was a courtesy meeting during which the Chief Minister briefed the Governor about the efforts being taken to protect the state from the Coronavirus pandemic.

Gehlot to likely to call Assembly session

However, Republic TV sources on Sunday said that meeting the Governor is a part of Ashok Gehlot's new strategy to pressurise the MLAs in the Sachin Pilot camp. Sources said that Ashok Gehlot is now planning to call an Assembly session so that he can order the MLAs to attend the session by issuing the whip. If the MLAs, especially in the Pilot camp defy it, they can lose their membership and in such a situation, Ashok Gehlot can prove his majority. 

Sachin Pilot's camp has claimed that the rebel Congress leader has the support of 30 MLAs who were willing to walk with him if needed from the government in Rajasthan - a number enough to bring down Gehlot's government. But Gehlot says he has 109 MLAs loyal to him. Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot on Saturday mopped up the support of two BTP MLAs, shoring up numbers for his shaky government.,

MHA seeks report from Rajasthan government 

Apart from this, the Centre sought a report from the Rajasthan government on the allegations of phone tapping, an official said.

In a communication, the Ministry of Home Affairs told the Rajasthan Chief Secretary to provide the details of the incident, the official added. ACB Director General Alok Tripathi said it has registered an FIR on a complaint by Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi. The FIR mentions details of conversations of (rebel MLA) Bhanwarlal Sharma with Gajendra Singh(Congress claims it is a reference to Union minister Gajendra Singh) and a third man called Sanjay Jain.

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The Congress alleges that Jain, whose name had surfaced in the audio recording about horse-trading of legislators to topple the Congress government, is a BJP leader but the saffron party rejects the allegation, saying it has no connection with him. Jain, who was arrested on Friday night, has been remanded to four days of police custody.

In the house of 200, the Congress has 107 MLAs, including the 19 dissidents who have been issued notices of disqualification by the Speaker and have challenged them in the High Court. Congress has maintained the claim that the Gehlot government has the support of 109 MLAs, including the two BTP MLAs. The court resumes hearing on the disqualification notices on Monday and Speaker C P Joshi will not take any action on the issue till 5.30 pm on Tuesday.

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(With PTI inputs)