On Sunday (July 26) more trouble started to brew for the Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot as Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati have asked her six MLAs – counted as Congress MLAs by the assembly – to vote against the Gehlot government in a no-confidence vote.
Mayawati’s surprise move spells more trouble for Ashok Gehlot who has been struggling to hold his government ever since the now sacked Deputy CM Sachin Pilot raised a banner of rebellion.
For Congress, the exodus of young leaders from its stable seems to be never ending. Earlier, Jyotiraditya Scindia who had worked very closely with Rahul Gandhi quit the party and joined the BJP and has gone on to become a Rajya Sabha MP.
Mayawati has now approached the High Court to reclaim the party’s six lawmakers who merged the legislative party with the Congress last year. Last year six legislators had asked Speaker CP Joshi to consider the BSP legislative party be merged into the Congress, as it would strengthen their position. The request was immediately accepted by CP Joshi. This gave Congress the cushion that got the party comfortably over the majority mark of 101.
This defection had not gone well with Mayawati and now she is using the crisis to her advantage to rock Gehlots boat for backstabbing her.
Gehlot had had the support of 12 out of 13 independent legislators and the 5 legislators from smaller parties. He has also made homecoming for Sachin Pilot and his supporter difficult with barbs in public. With Maywati’s move Gehlot’s political position in the state has become very tenuous.
As of now, the BSP wants all its six MLAs who were counted as Congress MLAs to vote against the Gehlot government in a no-confidence vote.