Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Saturday said Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra should take cognisance of the instability in the state and recommend President's Rule. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, she said, had openly violated the Anti-Defection law and cheated the BSP for a second time by getting its MLAs included in the Congress. "And it is also evident he did an illegal and unconstitutional thing by phone tapping," Mayawati said in a series of tweets in Hindi. "The governor (of Rajasthan) must take cognisance of the political deadlock and instability prevailing in Rajasthan, and should recommend imposition of President's Rule in the state, so that the condition of democracy in the state does not deteriorate," she said.
Patra said senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Gehlot, have been claiming that these audio clips are authentic even though the FIR registered by police does not say so
Beniwal, a former BJP leader and Raje-baiter for a long time, claimed that there is an "internal understanding" between her and incumbent Chief Minister Gehlot.
A division Bench was earlier expected to hear the petition at 7.30 pm but the matter was put off till 1 pm Friday.
Rashtriya Loktantrik Party's Hanuman Beniwal alleged that former chief minister Vasundhara Raje (pictured) was trying to help the Ashok Gehlot-led "minority government" in Rajasthan survive.
The petition against the move to disqualify the rebel MLAs from the state assembly was taken up for hearing at 3 pm
Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi has sent disqualification notices to sacked Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs on the basis of the complaint made by the party
The 19 MLAs were sent notices Tuesday by the Speaker after the Congress complained that the MLAs had defied a party whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings
Pilot was sacked by the party as Rajasthan deputy chief minister and PCC chief after he openly revolted against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot
Former union minister and Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Wednesday said that if at all there is a political future for Sachin Pilot it is in the Congress party
At a time when the Congress is dealing with shockwaves in Rajasthan generated by Pilot's rebel, the party may see troubles in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh as well
"Gehlot did not pay attention to our demands and maintained a dictatorial attitude," says Ramesh Meena
Speaking at a function held by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), party leader Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier said Pilot was "always in my heart", was also dismissive.
He has an undeniable following in the party. But after being deputy chief minister, being an ordinary MLA will chafe.
Mayawati has been increasingly vocal in her opposition to the Congress
The reference was to reports that MLAs close to the rebel leaders are holed up in hotels in Gurgaon in Haryana, where the BJP is in power
Sachin Pilot was sacked as Rajasthan deputy chief minister and state party president
Sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and the other MLAs asked to respond to Speaker's notice by Friday
After Sachin Pilot said that truth cannot be defeated, Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey took a dig at him, saying he was right and it has been a victory for people of the state
Several Congress leaders, including Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor and former MP Priya Dutt expressed disappointment at the removal of Sachin Pilot from the posts in the party and from the Rajasthan Cabinet