Status quo, says Maken on political crisis in Rajasthan

New Delhi: There is "status quo" in the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan as there have been no talks with the rebel MLAs belonging to the Sachin Pilot camp to get them back to the Congress party fold. However, the party said that it has "majority" numbers and can prove the same on the floor of the House.

Senior spokesperson of the Congress and special observer to Rajasthan, Ajay Maken said that "status quo" would not be a wrong word at all. Maken was responding to questions as he held a virtual press conference from Jaisalmer where the Congress MLAs belonging to the Gehlot camp are holed up.

The Congress leader said that the party has the numbers and is ready to prove the majority, adding that even the opposition had not moved a no-confidence motion.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot along with his supporting MLAs have rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, however, the Congress has appealed to them several times to return to the party fold.

Congress top sources said that "if Pilot wants to return there should be no preconditions as this will set a wrong precedent."

While the Congress claims that it has a comfortable majority, the party is wary of the numbers since the Rajasthan High Court issued a notice to Assembly Speaker C.P. Joshi on Wednesday on petitions filed by BSP national Secretary Satish Mishra and BJP MLA Madan Dilawar challenging the merger of 6 BSP MLAs with the Congress.

However, in a bid to pacify the rebel MLAs the Rajasthan Special Operation Group (SOG) has scrapped the sedition charges clamped on Congress MLAs accused of alleged horse-trading to topple the state government. The SOG of Rajasthan Police on Tuesday transferred the case to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had said in Jaisalmer on August 1 that if those who were engaged in the conspiracy to destabilise the government in the state confess to the party high command and are forgiven, he would also embrace them.