Amid political crisis, Congress divided over assembly floor test in Rajasthan
The Congress has so far claimed that 109 legislators in the 200-member assembly are supporting the Ashok Gehlot government and insisted that the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too had not yet sought a floor test.
The Congress on Thursday said there are two opinions in the party on holding the floor test in Rajasthan with one section suggesting going for an immediate trust vote while the other group is urging legislators to wait for the proceedings in courts to get over before proving their strength in the assembly.

Addressing a virtual press conference, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken also said the party was not “disappointed” with the Supreme Court’s decision on a plea filed by Rajasthan assembly speaker CP Joshi seeking a stay on the proceedings in the high court, saying they were not expecting a favourable verdict and had already prepared a political plan to deal with the crisis.
”When we go to the court these days, we don’t expect favourable decisions and we prepare ourselves for a decision which is not in our favour. It is not only a legal battle but mainly a political battle. Legal battle is just a part of the entire political battle. Knowing and understanding fully well that the courts may not give a decision in our favour we have prepared our political plan,” he said.
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The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Rajasthan high court to pass orders on Friday on a plea by rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident legislators challenging the speaker’s disqualification notice. It set aside the speaker’s request for a stay on the proceedings.
The plea had challenged the high court order of July 21 which had asked the speaker to defer action on his notice to Pilot and other rebel legislators till July 24, arguing that the court’s intervention was premature as he is yet to decide on the issue of disqualification and has only issued notices.
“No doubt, floor test is the only solution and we can go for it at any opportune time. We are confident of our numbers and will prove majority on the floor of the House. There are two views in our party. One section feels that we should wait for the proceedings in courts to be over and the other suggests that we should immediately go for the floor test,” Maken said.
“But as far as the floor test is concerned we are very confident and will easily cross the majority mark with at least a margin of 15-20 legislators in the final count,” he added.
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Maken and Randeep Singh Surjewala were deputed by the Congress leadership as the party’s two special observers to deal with the political crisis in Rajasthan.
The Congress has so far claimed that 109 legislators in the 200-member assembly are supporting the Ashok Gehlot government and insisted that the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too had not yet sought a floor test.
Asked if the party has re-established contact with Pilot and other rebel legislators, Maken said, “We have been repeatedly requesting them to talk to us and tell us about their grievances. We have never said they are not part of the Congress.”
The Congress leader said it was the rebel legislators who went to the court first.
“I am here for the past 12 days and I am not a part of any group. My sympathies are with the young leadership as I consider myself a part of it. Similarly, Surjewala and KC Venugopal are also part of the same group. We have told them to come and talk to us and attend party meetings,” he added.
Maken said it was unheard of till now that the ruling party’s legislators were seeking the floor test from their own chief minister. “If a Congress legislator asks for a floor test from its own government, can we call him a member of the Congress party? Have you ever heard that a sitting state Congress president has turned a dissident?” he asked.
“Who demands the floor test? Why are Harish Salve and Mukul Rohtagi appearing for the rebel legislators? Will they ever appear for the Congress? Why is the BJP government in Haryana not letting the Rajasthan Police take voice samples of the rebel legislators lodged in a hotel in Manesar? Who is Gajendra Shekawat? Why are Amit Shah’s police protecting them? Why is ED (Enforcement Directorate) raiding relatives of the chief minister? Isn’t this the BJP’s open support to rebel legislators?”
Asked why young leaders are leaving the Congress, Maken shot back: “Has he (Pilot) left the party? I don’t think he has left the party yet. We are in the Congress not for any post or importance but for its ideology. If you take the help of a diametrically opposite party like the BJP to damage the Congress, I don’t think you are a well wisher of the Congress.”
