Congress touts majority with 102 MLAs, urges Pilot camp to 'apologise and return to party'

Confirming the support of 102 MLAs, Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande, on Monday said that the Ashok Gehlot government was in majority and wanted to discuss COVID-19 issues with the Opposition. Lauding the success of 'Speak Up For Democracy' - the Congress' nationwide campaign against BJP, he said that if needed Congress MLAs would visit the President. While CM Gehlot has lashed out at former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, Pande said the doors were open to the rebels if they apologised.

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Congress urges Pilot camp to return to party folds

"Rajasthan Government led by Ashok Gehlot is in majority and wants to convene the State Assembly session. We want to discuss important matters including COVID19 with the opposition in the Assembly," said State Congress in-charge Avinash Pande. Addressing the rebels, he added," If the MLAs of Sachin Pilot camp apologize to the party, then doors are open for them".

He added, "If necessary we will all go to the President and will protect our democracy. Video of our 102 MLAs requesting the President has been loaded on Facebook and Twitter today. There is no whip chief in BSP. This is all BJP's tactics, I am very thankful to the Court that they dismiss their plea".

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Pilot camp claims support of 10-15 MLAs

Earlier in the day, Pilot camp MLA Hemaram Choudhary said that 10-15  MLAs of Ashok Gehlot camp were in contact and will join Pilot if set free from Fairmont Hotel - where all MLAs are lodged at. Moreover, Rajasthan's BSP MLA Lakhan Singh said that he and his 5 BSP colleagues backed Gehlot, defying BSP's whip regarding voting against Congress. The Rajasthan High Court also dismissed the plea filed by BJP opposing the merger of 6 BSP MLAs into Congress in September 2019.

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Speaker withdraws his SC plea

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi withdrew his plea from Supreme Court against the High Court order asking him to defer his decision on disqualification notices issued to former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs. On the other hand, responding to Gehlot's proposal to convene Assembly session on July 31, Governor Kalraj Mishra has asked if Gehlot wants a trust vote in the state assembly, as it was not mentioned in the proposal to reconvene the Assembly on July 31. Mishra has suggested Gehlot to give 21-day notice to convene the Assembly as it would be difficult to call all the MLAs at such a short time. Currently Pilot and 18 MLAs face disqualification as the Rajasthan High Court has maintained the status quo till date.

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