Rajasthan crisis: BSP issues whip, directs its 6 MLAs to vote against Congress in Assembly session

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 26 (ANI): As the political crisis in Rajasthan deepens, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Sunday has issued a whip to its 6 MLAs directing them to vote against Congress in any "No Confidence Motion" or any proceedings to be held during Rajasthan Assembly Session.
National General Secretary of BSP Satish Chandra Mishra said that notices have been issued to six MLAs separately as well as collectively, stating that since BSP is a National Party, there cannot be any merger at the state level unless there is a merger of BSP at the national level.
Notices have been issued to all six MLAs- - R Gudha, Lakhan Singh, Deep Chand, JS Awana, Sandeep Kumar and Wajib Ali, who are elected to Rajasthan Assembly.
Speaking to ANI, Mishra said, "Notices issued to the six MLAs separately as well as collectively, stating that since BSP is National Party, there cannot be any merger at the state level at the instance of six MLAs unless there is a merger of BSP at the national level. If they violate it, they will be disqualified."
"Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot deceived the public, electorate and BSP this time as well, who was supporting them openly. He claims that they have taken these six MLAs and they have been included in Congress. A merger cannot take place in Congress...being a national party (BSP), according to the 10th Schedule of the Constitution there was a split provision earlier which was finished later," he added.
If the Speaker allowed the merger, even that is unconstitutional and illegal, he added.
"BSP is a national party so if we would have done merger with Congress on national and state-level then it would have been called as a merger but it did not happen. So how will merger take place in Rajasthan? So this is unconstitutional action," said Mishra.
"We had earlier also written to Election Commission during Rajya Sabha elections and we had mentioned everything. But they asserted that they cannot entertain this on technical grounds," he added.
The anti-defection law, enshrined in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, was inserted in 1985 to prevent such political defections. It lists two situations for disqualification on the ground of defection. Firstly, if an MP or an MLA "has voluntarily given up his membership of such political party" (clause 2(1)(a)). Secondly, if he votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by his party, that is if he violates the party whip in the House (clause 2(1)(b).
Rajasthan plunged into a political crisis after differences between former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was removed as the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan and as the state unit chief of the party. (ANI)