The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday will hear a petition by BJP MLA Madan Dilawar, along with the BSP’s petition, against the merger of six BSP MLAs with the Congress.
Earlier Supreme Court had posted a petition by the BJP MLA challenging the merger of six BSP MLAs of Rajasthan Assembly with the Congress for 13 August after it was informed that this issue is pending in consideration before the High Court. SC had ruled, “As the HC is hearing the matter and the parties have assured us that they are going to argue the matter, let the matter be argued before HC.”
On 6 August, the HC had issued notices to the aforementioned BSP MLAs on petitions filed by BSP and BJP MLA. Madan Dilawar’s plea sought to cancel this merger. HC had ruled: “Notices have to be published in local newspapers in Barmer and Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer district officials have to ensure notices reach MLAs lodged in a resort.” A single-judge bench of HC to decide if the merger of these aforementioned MLAs with Congress was unconstitutional or not.
BSP and BJP legislators had approached the division bench challenging the order of a single-judge bench that refused to stay the membership of the six BSP turncoats. The singlejudge bench had issued notices to the Speaker, Secretary of the Assembly and six MLAs on 30 July, asking them to submit replies by 11 August.
However, the court didn’t grant any interim stay on the membership of turncoats even as the petitions sought a stay on their participation in the Assembly proceedings as Congress legislators.
The six BSP MLAs, who had merged with the Ashok Gehlot-led government are Sandeep Yadav (Tijara), Wajib Ali (Nagar), Joginder Singh Avana (Nadbai), Deepchand Kheria (Kishangarh Bas), Lakhan Meena (Karauli) and Rajendra Gudha (Udaipurwati). Earlier, Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi had moved the SC against the 24 July Rajasthan HC order which asked Assembly Speaker to defer disqualification proceedings against former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 other rebel MLAs.