Rajasthan crisis unabating, Vasundhara Raje arrives in Delhi to meet top BJP leaders

Amid the ongoing political turmoil in the state, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje reached the national capital Delhi on Thursday and is expected to meet top party leaders to discuss the political developments in the Congress-ruled state. 

Vasundhara Raje's visit to Delhi comes in the midst of a political kerfuffle in the state of Rajasthan even as rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and his camp have not made any move after their suspension from the party, while CM Ashok Gehlot remains quite confident of the government completing its term despite hoarding his MLAs at a hotel for over a month. 

The BJP high command, according to sources, has also ordered Union minister & MP from Barmer Kailash Chaudhary to visit Jaisalmer - where the Ashok Gehlot camp MLAs are staying at a hotel.  

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HC issues notice on BSP-congress merger

In a major development, Rajasthan High Court has issued notice to Assembly Speaker CP Joshi over BJP leader Madan Dilawar's petition against the merger of 6 BSP MLAs with Congress. The High Court has directed the assembly speaker to reply by Thursday. 

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On August 4, BJP MLA Madan Dilawar and the BSP moved a division bench of the Rajasthan High Court challenging an order of its single-judge bench which refused to put a stay on the functioning of the six BSP "defecting" MLAs as Congress legislators. The two parties had earlier moved the High Court challenging the state Assembly Speaker CP Joshi’s September 2019 decision to allow the induction of the six BSP MLAs to the ruling Congress.

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Gajendra Shekhawat backs Vasundhara Raje's silence

The "silence" of senior BJP leader Vasundhara Raje Scindia on the political developments in Rajasthan can be a "strategy", her party colleague and Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat said on Sunday. In an interview to PTI, Shekhawat, who has been accused by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of trying to topple his government, also alleged that it was the Congress leader who had orchestrated the political drama in the state to target his rivals in the party and outside.

"He (Gehlot) has been unable to digest that I defeated his son in Lok Sabha elections and is trying everything against me, by hook or by crook to avenge his defeat," said Shekhawat, who represents Jodhpur and had defeated Vaibhav Gehlot in the 2019 Lok Sabha election by more than 2.74 lakh votes. Underlining that the BJP has nothing to do with the political crisis in Rajasthan, Shekhawat maintained that it is the fallout of the infighting in the Congress involving Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.

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