Jaipur, (Samajweekly) The Rajasthan High Court on Monday issued notice to 18 Congress MLAs including former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, seeking their response on the petition filed by them challenging the notice of the Speaker issued under the anti-defection law during their rebellion against the state leadership.
Hearing the PR Meena vs Assembly Speaker case on Monday, the court issued notice, returnable by May 25, when it will next hear the matter to find out if the petition can be dismissed on the basis of conciliation.
Among the MLAs issued notice are five supports of Sachin Pilot who are now ministers – Vishvendra Singh, Ramesh Meena, Hemaram Chaudhary, Brijendra Ola, and Murarilal Meena.
During the rebellion of the Sachin Pilot camp, the Assembly Speaker had issued notice to the rebel MLAs under the anti-defection law, and P.R. Meena, on behalf of the Pilot camp, challenged that matter in the High Court.
During the hearing on Monday, it was argued on behalf of the party’s advocate, Vimal Chaudhary, that all the MLAs have returned to the Congress and many of them have also become ministers again, so pursuing this case now is of no use.
As the high court asked the petitioners’ side, but counsel Divyesh Maheshwari said that he did not have any instruction from his client, had contacted many times but did not get any response. In such a situation, the court itself should collect the answer by issuing notice to them, he said.
Thereupon, the high court has issued notice.
During the rebellion, the Pilot camp MLAs did not appear before the Speaker after his notice and challenged thise in the High Court in July 2020 and subsequently, the matter went to the Supreme Court too.
However in August 2020, Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot reconciled and the rebels returned to the party fold. However, the case remained pending in the high court but no one showed interest in taking it forward as the political situation had changed.
