Opposition BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition G C Kataria, on Monday, called on Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker Dr C P Joshi with a letter calling on him to accept the resignation of 91 Congress MLAs en masse for boycotting a CLP meeting in protesting against the Congress high command’s one line resolution on September 25.
Recalling that the 91 Congress MLAs had held a meeting at the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal’s residence and decided to resign in their individual capacity, the letter written by LoO Kataria to the Speaker said he should take a decision on their legitimate membership of legislator (s) in the House and accept their resignations en masse.
“In exercise of the powers conferred under the provisions of Article 190 (3) (b) of the Constitution, MLA has resigned from the membership of the Legislative Assembly. It is clearly mentioned in this provision that if he resigns his seat by writing under his hand addressed to him, as the case may be, then his seat will become vacant,” the BJP Legislators stressed.
“After two weeks, the decision on resignations of the 91 Congress MLAs including cabinet ministers are pending and under consideration of the Speaker’s office,” they said.
According to the letter, at a time when the Gehlot Government is facing crisis and staring at an uncertain future, this impasse created hurdles in completion of public works due to which the government and the bureaucracy has adopted dilly-dallying tactics on new projects. Despite the cabinet ministers in the Gehlot Government routinely effecting employees’ transfer especially in the Education department, the letter said.
Quoting sections and provisions of the Constitution like 208, 173 (1 & 2), they argued the Speaker shall accept these resignations with immediate effect.
The Speaker has assured the delegation that he would take an appropriate action on the matter, Satish Poonia, BJP State President Satish Poonia informed reporters after coming out of the Speaker bunglow.
It is pertinent to recall her that Chief Whip of the ruling Congress and PHED Minister Dr. Mahesh Joshi, Deputy Whip Mahendra Choudhary, CM’s advisor Sanyam Lodha, Parliamentary Affairs and UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal had handed over the resignations of 92 MLAs to the Speaker after three hours of political drama at Dhariwal’s residence. The MLAs had en masse decided to quit if their three-point demand were not fulfilled and asked the party high command to take a decision based on their Conditional Resolution on September 25 when the AICC Observer Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Makan waited for their arrival at CM Residence. They all took this extreme step to stop the entry of Sachin Pilot as the prospecting CM if Gehlot joins the Congress president poll fray.