In a statement, BSP General Secretary Satish Chandra Misra said, “All six MLAs have been issued separate notices wherein they have been informed that since BSP is a recognised national party as such there cannot be any merger under para (4) of the 10th Schedule at the state level at the instance of six MLAs unless there is a merger of the entire BSP everywhere at the national level.” If the six MLAs voted against the party whip, they were liable for disqualification from the assembly, Mishra said. “It has been further stated in the notice that therefore they are bound to follow the ‘whip’ of BSP failing which they would entail disqualification,” the statement said.

Mishra also said the BSP would intervene in the pending petition of disqualification before the Rajasthan High Court or file a separate writ petition. Sandeep Yadav, Wajib Ali, Deepchand Kheria, Lakhan Meena, Jogendra Awana and Rajendra Gudha won the 2018 assembly elections on BSP tickets. They applied for merger as a group with the Congress on September 16 last year. The Speaker passed an order two days later declaring that the six MLAs will be treated as an integral part of the Congress. The merger was a boost to the Ashok Gehlot-led government as the Congress tally increased to 107 in a House of 200. A BJP MLA had on Friday filed a petition in the Rajasthan High Court for quashing the merger of six BSP MLAs with the Congress.

A day before the Supreme Court hears the case of the embattled Congress-led government, there was business-like calm in the Rajasthan capital on Sunday with Governor Kalraj Mishra meeting top officials to discuss the corona crisis. As Congress leaders in the state and outside spoke in unison to support him and lash out against the Centre and the BJP, the chief minister also held a separate review meeting to discuss the coronavirus crisis.

The Rajasthan Congress called off its plans to protest in front of the Raj Bhawan on Monday. “Tomorrow, Congress workers will protest in front of Raj Bhawans as part of ‘Save Democracy-Save Constitution’ agitation call. But in Rajasthan we will not do anything like that.” state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara said in a tweet.

Discussion on the pandemic, the economy and the bills to be taken up are listed as part of the agenda for the assembly session in the Gehlot-led cabinet’s revised proposal sent late Saturday night, Congress sources said. The government, fighting for survival after Gehlot’s now sacked deputy Sachin Pilot staged a rebellion with 18 other MLAs following a bitter and prolonged feud, has been pushing the governor for an opportunity to prove its numbers on the floor of the house. However, it is not immediately clear whether a floor test is part of the proposal.