Sachin Pilot
JAIPUR: In a move to mount pressure on rebel MLAs and indicate its resolve, Congress moved Rajasthan assembly Speaker C P Joshi against Sachin Pilot and his supporters, resulting in the Speaker issuing on Wednesday notices to 19 MLAs who were absent in legislature party meetings held on Monday and Tuesday. Pilot and his band of MLAs were accused of violating the party whip, thereby inviting disqualification from the assembly.
The MLAs are accused of conspiring to topple the state government led by chief minister Ashok Gehlot in connivance with BJP. The notices issued on Wednesday have to be replied to by July 17 and are likely to set the stage for a politico-legal battle as the rebels are bound to approach courts in the event the Speaker finally disqualifies them and they lose their membership of the assembly.
The notices were issued after Congress chief whip in the assembly Mahesh Joshi wrote to the Speaker seeking action in accordance with the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Members (Disqualification for Defection) Act, 1989. The notices, which have see