Rajasthan HC Dismisses Plea Against BSP MLAs’ Merger With Congress

The 11 August decision is expected to have monumental ramifications on Ashok Gehlot’s government in Rajasthan.

File image of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot.

(Photo: PTI)

A petition filed by the Bahujan Samaj Party seeking a temporary freeze on the merger of six of its former legislators with the Rajasthan Congress was reportedly dismissed by a division bench of the Rajasthan High Court on Thursday, 6 August.

The high court has further left the decision to a single bench and the matter has been listed before it for 11 August.

What Did the Division Bench Say?

According to Hindustan Times, the petition has been filed by BSP and BJP lawmaker Madan Dilawar.

The division bench of the high court also, according to Hindustan Times, instructed a lower court to “serve the notices to six MLAs issued earlier by a single bench last week”.

Prateek Kasliwal, counsel for speaker CP Joshi, reportedly told Hindustan Times:

“The HC has disposed of the appeal filed by the BSP and BP MLA Dilawar. The court directed the district judge to get the notices served to the BSP MLAs as well as if required to take assistance of the Jaisalmer superintendent of police to serve the notices. The court had also directed to publish the notice in a local newspaper and at the same time it is redirected to the single bench that it should give its decision on 11 August on the petition filed earlier.”   

What Does This Mean for Rajasthan Assembly?

The 11 August decision is slated to have monumental ramifications on Ashok Gehlot’s government in Rajasthan. According to NDTV, Ashok Gehlot is expected to seek a trust vote on 14 August, and he claims to have the support of 102 MLAs, which is one above the present majority mark. However, if there is a freeze on the merger with BSP MLAs, Gehlot’s numbers will drop to 96.

The halfway mark in that case will also drop to 97. In any case, Gehlot will be one number short.

Gehlot’s Plan B

The counsel of Rajasthan Assembly speaker reportedly told NDTV that regardless of what the 11 August decision is, they can go for an appeal before 14 August.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times and NDTV.)