Rajasthan Guv returns proposal to summon Assembly session; asks state govt to give reasons

In a big development on Wednesday, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra returned the state government's proposal to summon a special session of the Assembly for the third time in a row. This comes a day after the Ashok Gehlot-led government had sent a revised proposal containing the response to the three queries posed by the Governor. According to Mishra, the state government insisted that he was not only bound to accept its recommendation but also had no right to know the reasons behind it.

At this juncture, the Governor highlighted that the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly rules mandated a 21-day notice to all the MLAs. Thereafter, he asked the Rajasthan government to furnish the reasons for demanding the Assembly session at such short notice. Mishra maintained that a floor test with social maintaining norms was a valid reason to summon the special Assembly session. At the same time, he opined that it would be appropriate to commence the Monsoon session of the Assembly with a notice of 21 days in the current circumstances.

Read: Rajasthan Govt Crisis LIVE Updates: BSP Moves HC On MLAs Merger; Guv Returns CM's Proposal

Read: 'What If President Refuses To Summon Parliament?': Ahmed Patel Slams Rajasthan Governor

Rajasthan government in trouble

Pilot’s departure to Delhi with some of his supporting legislators on July 11 set off alarm bells in the Congress camp. The rift between CM Ashok Gehlot and him widened after the legislators belonging to his camp skipped two Legislative Party meetings. Despite Pilot's insistence that he will not join BJP, the Congress party sacked him as the Deputy CM and the PCC chief. 

On July 24, a division bench of the Rajasthan HC comprising Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta ordered a "status quo" on the Assembly Speaker's notices issued to sacked Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs. This implies that the Speaker cannot take any coercive action against the Pilot camp until the HC concludes hearing the matter. Additionally, the Centre has been impleaded in the case. 

Read: For 3rd Time In A Row, Rajasthan Govt Sends Proposal To Guv For Summoning Assembly Session

Read: Amid Their Court Battle, Sachin Pilot Wishes Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi On His Birthday