Ashok Gehlot claims the support of 102 deputies in the 200-member assembly. (Photo file)
New Delhi / Jaipur:
Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot chaired a cabinet meeting at his residence on Friday evening. During the meeting which took place well after midnight, which lasted nearly two and a half hours, the cabinet discussed the six points raised by the state governor regarding the convocation as an assembly session.
Governor Kalraj Mishra did not call the session despite Mr. Gehlot’s requests. On Friday, Mr Gehlot and more than 100 MPs who supported him protested for more than four hours at the governor’s house, accusing him of sitting down on demand to call an assembly session because he was ” under pressure “to block a test of strength.
The governor, however, said he needed the state government’s response on a few points before making any announcements, saying Mr. Gehlot had given no “rationale” or “agenda” for convene the session in such a short time.
Ashok Gehlot, 69, is pushing for a test of strength after Sachin Pilot and other congressional rebels threatening his government were granted a reprieve from the Rajasthan High Court on Friday.
Congress has a small lead over the opposition and has only passed the majority bar of 101 in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly. Team Pilot claims the support of 30 MPs, but so far the evidence shows only 19. The BJP has 72. Including small parties and independent MPs, the opposition has 97 so far.
Here are the live updates on the political crisis in Rajasthan:
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot chaired a cabinet meeting at his residence on Friday evening. During the meeting which took place well after midnight, which lasted nearly two and a half hours, the cabinet discussed the six points raised by the state governor regarding the convocation as an assembly session.
