Rajasthan HC to decide about BSP MLA merger on 11 August

The Rajasthan High Court has issued notices to six BSP MLAs on petitions filed by BSP and BJP MLAs. The plea by BJP legislator Madan Dilawar sought to cancel a merger of six BSP MLAs with Congress-led government in the state. The Rajasthan High Court 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.” On 11 August, the single-judge bench of Rajasthan HC will decide if the merger of these six BSP 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 single-judge bench had issued notices to the Speaker, the Secretary of the Assembly and the six MLAs on 30 July, asking them to submit replies by 11 August.

However, the court hasn’t granted 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 MLA, Wajib Ali (Nagar), Deepchand Kheria (Kishangarh Bas), Lakhan Meena (Karauli) and Rajendra Gudha (Udaipurwati).

Earlier, Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi had moved SC against the July 24 Rajasthan HC order which had asked Assembly Speaker to defer disqualification proceedings against former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other rebel MLAs.