Rajasthan political crisis: Cases filed against Union Minister, rebel Congress leader
Jaipur/New Delhi/IBNS: Cases have been filed against Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and rebel Congress MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma for allegedly conspiring against the Congress government in Rajasthan, media reports said.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday said two audio recordings have surfaced where Sharma was heard having discussions with BJP leaders.
However, Surjewala didn't play the recordings in the press conference.
Sharma has already been suspended by the party.
The Congress' political crisis in the desert state entered into the courtroom on Thursday after 19 rebel MLAs along with former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot challenged Assembly Speaker CP Joshi's disqualification order, filing a petition in the Rajasthan High Court.
A division bench of the high court will hear the matter on Friday.
The Congress plunged into a political crisis last week after then Rajasthan Deputy CM Pilot along with his loyalists flew to New Delhi turning rebel against CM Ashok Gehlot, exposing the power-struggle within the party.
After Pilot had skipped two consecutive meetings of Congress MLAs- chaired by Gehlot- the Rajasthan unit of the grand old party on Tuesday sacked the rebel leader as the Deputy CM as well as the party chief in the state.
Amid speculations over Pilot's joining in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the 42-year old Congress leader ruled out such a possibility.
Meanwhile the BJP, which has 75 seats in the assembly, is closely watching the political development maintaining a safe distance.
If 19 Congress MLAs are indeed disqualified, proving the majority in the house will just be a cakewalk for Gehlot as the majority mark will immediately come down.
However, the Congress has still kept its door open for Pilot, the architect of Congress' victory in the 2018 assembly polls, amid reports claiming the former Union Minister may also float his own party.
Image Credit: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Twitter
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