Rajasthan Congress MLAs to withdraw resignations submitted to Speaker

The 90 MLAs, considered loyal to CM Ashok Gehlot, had made the decision after boycotting a Congress Legislature Party meeting on September 25

All the ruling Congress MLAs in Rajasthan who had submitted their resignations to Assembly Speaker C.P. Joshi will withdraw the papers following a directive from the party high command.

The 90 MLAs, considered loyal to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, had made the decision after boycotting a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on September 25. Their resignation letters have been lying with the Speaker for over three months.

Some of the MLAs went to Mr. Joshi’s residence on Saturday and submitted formal letters informing him that they were taking back their resignation. The legislators, who had resented a proposed move at the CLP meeting to authorise the high command to select a new Chief Minister, were assured that there would be no change of guard in the State before the 2023 Assembly election.

The new Congress in-charge for Rajasthan, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who was on a three-day visit to the State, had reportedly conveyed the high command’s desire to bring reconciliation between the two factions at a meeting with Mr. Joshi on Friday.

Mr. Randhawa also attended a convention of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) in Jaipur and interacted with the party leaders.

Since the Assembly’s Budget Session is scheduled to start on January 23, the withdrawal of MLAs’ resignation was essential for the ruling party.

It was also crucial in view of the matter having been taken up by Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore to the Rajasthan High Court through a public interest litigation (PIL). Following a notice issued to the Speaker, the case pertaining to the en masse resignation will come up for hearing in the High Court on January 2.