Raj political crisis: 54 Gehlot camp MLAs on way to Jaisalmer, more to follow

Jaipur: Over 50 MLAs of the Ashok Gehlot camp, who were lodged in a hotel on the Jaipur- Delhi Highway amid the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan, were being shifted to Jaisalmer on Friday, Congress sources said.

Three chartered flights carrying 54 MLAs to Jaisalmer took off from here in the first round. The remaining legislators will go in the second round, the sources said.

We are going to Jaisalmer for a change, Congress MLA Prashant Bairwa said.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is also expected to go to Jaisalmer, they said.

The decision to shift the MLAs come a day after Gehlot indicated that he will seek a confidence vote when the assembly convenes next fortnight and claimed that the money offered to the MLAs to switch sides had increased sharply ahead of the session.

The chief minister said the rebels who have not accepted money should return to the party fold.

The MLAs have been staying in the hotel since July 13 after Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs rebelled against the government triggering the political crisis.