Sachin Team Driver in Haryana: No date has been set for their return to Jaipur.
Jaipur / New Delhi:
A day after the governor of Rajasthan, Kalraj Mishra, finally approved an assembly session from August 14 after multiple requests from Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, rebel MPs camped in Haryana said they would attend the meeting.
Sachin Pilot and 18 rebel MPs are said to be debating to demand protection to return to Jaipur for the first time since they broke ranks with the Congress party.
One of the rebel MPs, asked if they would attend the session, told GalacticGaming: “Of course we will.”
No date has been set for their return to Jaipur.
If the rebels do not attend the session, they will be automatically disqualified.
They are currently fighting the decisions of President CP Joshi to disqualify them.
The Rajasthan High Court hears Team Pilot’s petition challenging the disqualification notices served on them on June 15.
Chief Minister Gehlot says he has the support of 102 MPs in the Rajasthan assembly, which has 200 members, exceeding the majority.
Among the factors threatening this count are the rebels.
The rebels say they have around 30 MPs by their side, but so far only 19 have been confirmed.
If they attend the House and vote against the Congressional government, Ashok Gehlot could be in big trouble. The rebels will be disqualified for challenging their party whip, but the government will fall first, by the rules.
The Chief Minister, while pushing for an assembly session, did not mention a vote of confidence in any of his four letters to the governor, who repeatedly questioned whether a test of strength was in order of the day. Mr Mishra told the state government that 21 days’ notice was required to call the assembly, but an exception could be made if Mr Gehlot scheduled a ground test.
“If the governor wants us to have a ground test, he should lead us, we are in the majority. Why ask for a ground test, ”said Mahesh Joshi, Chief Whip of Rajasthan, on Wednesday.
Sources say Congress wants to avoid mentioning a confidence vote because it could ask the governor to set terms for a test of strength.
Team Pilot did not ask for a vote either; their strategy, the sources say, is to wait for other MPs to cross paths. Many rebels hope this will happen in the meantime until August 14.
