Rajasthan Political Crisis: Six 'BSP MLAs' Move Supreme Court, Seek Transfer of Case on Merger With Congress From HC
Jaipur, August 8: Six MLAs who had won in the 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections on the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket moved the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking transfer of the case against their merger with the Congress to the top judicial body. The proceedings in their case is currently underway in the Rajasthan High Court. BSP Twist to Rajasthan Political Row: Mayawati's Party to File Plea in HC Tomorrow Against Merger of Its 6 MLAs With Congress.
The six legislators - R Gudha, Lakhan Singh, Deep Chand, JS Awana, Sandeep Kumar and Wajib Ali - had joined the Congress en masse in September 2019. Speaker CP Joshi had approved their merger as the entire legislature party of the BSP in Rajasthan had switched camps.
The BSP, led by former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati, moved the High Court on July 28 with a plea challenging their merger. The party claimed that since it is registered as a "national political party", such a merger could be validated only if all state units of the BSP merge with the Congress.
The case filed by BSP in the Rajasthan HC was preceded by a whip issued to the six MLAs, directing them to vote against the Ashok Gehlot-led government in the state in case of a trust vote.
If the High Court order annuls their merger with Congress and rules that the MLAs still belong to the BSP, they would be required to adhere to the party whip. If the legislators violate the whip issued to them in case of a trust vote, their membership of the House could be terminated.
