Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra orders Assembly session from August 14 with measures against COVID-19

New Delhi: Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Wednesday (July 29) issued an order to convene the Assembly session from August 14, thereby putting an end to ongoing tussle between the Raj Bhawan and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. 

The order has directed the Gehlot government to follow the guidelines issued to prevent the spread of coronavirus during the conduct of the Assembly Session.

"The Rajasthan Governor has approved the Cabinet proposal to call the assembly session from August 14," a Raj Bhawan spokesperson said, adding "He also gave verbal directions to make the necessary arrangements for the prevention of COVID-19 spread during the session."

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government has sent another proposal to the Governor seeking to convene Assembly session. This was the fourth proposal being sent to Kalraj Mishra by the Gehlot government. 

Earlier in the day, Mishra asked the state government to deliberate on the need for 21-day notice period and maintaining social distancing norms in case confidence motion is moved while returning the third proposal sent by Ashok Gehlot to convene an Assembly session. 

Earlier on July 27, Kalraj Mishra said that Raj Bhavan had never intended "not to call" the Assembly session, asking the Gehlot government to deliberate on three points including a 21-day notice period for convening a session and maintaining social distancing norms.

The Governor earlier said that the statements from the state government make it clear that it wants to bring a trust vote but there is no mention of it in the proposal sent for convening the session.

The Congress earlier accused the Governor of bowing to “pressure” and hence not convening the session, a charge denied by Kalraj Mishra. 

Rajasthan Congress is facing crisis in the wake of differences between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot. Pilot was removed as the Deputy Chief Minister and the state unit chief of Congress. 

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi today filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court challenging the July 24 order of the High Court staying proceedings on disqualification petitions against former deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 Congress MLAs.

On Friday, Rajasthan High Court had ordered status quo on the disqualification notices sent by the Speaker, effectively barring the Speaker to proceed further on the notices under Tenth Schedule of the Constitution to disqualify the dissident MLAs, even if they do not submit their replies to it.

Joshi had on Monday withdrew his plea from the top court against the High Court order asking him to defer his decision on disqualification notices issued to Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs.

On July 23, the apex court held that the Rajasthan High Court can pass an order on Pilot and other MLAs` plea against disqualification notice issued against them by the State Assembly Speaker.

The notices were issued to Pilot and 18 MLAs under the anti-defection law after the chief whip`s application for their disqualification.