Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other senior party leaders, including All India Congress Committee general secretary Avinash Pande and spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, also moved to Jaisalmer along with the MLAs in five chartered flights.
In the letter written Sunday, he accused Shekhawat, other BJP leaders and some 'overambitious leaders' of his own party for being involved in the alleged attempt to bring down his Congress government.
Central Bureau of Investigation officers who probed cases like 2G, CWG scam and horse trading in Jharkhand Rajya Sabha elections are among the 28 from the agency awarded with prestigious the president's police medal for distinguished service and police medal for meritorious service on Republic Day.
Sounding confident of winning the trust vote on February 20, Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said he would enter the ring as a "wrestler" without bothering about his win or loss.
Gehlot, however, refused to disclose names of those behind the toppling bids allegedly involving transfer of money for horsetrading. "A complaint has been lodged with the SOG so that investigation about those who are involved in this organised crime of money transfer could be conducted," Gehot said at a press conference.
Other Congress leaders who are learnt to have spoken with Pilot are Ahmed Patel, P Chidambaram and K C Venugopal.
Earlier it said floor test is the only way to settle all issues that have entangled the politics of Maharashtra following a rebellion by Sena leader Eknath Shinde leading to a survival crisis of the Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition government.
"We realised that we don't have the required numbers to form the government and we don't want to indulge in horse-trading," Fadnavis told reporters after announcing his decision.
Amid reports that Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to form government in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party has called a meeting of its MLAs on Thursday to discuss future course of action.
The crisis surfaced on Friday when the Rajasthan Police issued notices to Gehlot, Pilot and the government chief whip, seeking time from them to record their statements over an alleged bid to destabilise the state's Congress government.
PDP patron Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form a government with the support of the Congress and the National Conference, while People's Conference leader Sajad Lone also staked claim to form the government with the help of the 25-member BJP.
The TMC likened its MLAs who have joined the BJP to "rats abandoning a ship sensing danger".
The BJP hit back, saying Gehlot has failed to run the government and is frustrated and making unreasonable allegations.
The petitioners alleged that the governor has acted in a "partisan manner" and allowed himself to be a "pawn in the BJP's illegal usurpation of power".
The governor said he wanted polls to take place in the state and an elected government to function.
The BJP is certain that the TMC will divide the Opposition votes, leaving it free to cruise through the polls.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to interfere with Thursday's biennial election to the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand which was countermanded following allegations of use of money power and horse-trading.
The ISI's overwhelming involvement in national politics has weakened the mainstream political parties, given a boost to horse-trading and arrested the growth of the political culture in the country. Amir Mir reports from Islamabad.
'Don't make the mistake that Scindia made. The BJP is unreliable. Nobody who joined it from any other party has succeeded there'
Omar also said he would never prefer horse trading to end the stalemate.
"The Commission is satisfied that the current election process for Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand has been seriously vitiated and cannot be permitted to proceed," the 3-member EC headed by Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said in a 12-page order.
She also alleged an atmosphere prevailed where opposition parties were also afraid of 'horsetrading, harassment and political vendetta'.
According to a notification issued by the government, Justice Ramana would take over as the 48th CJI on April 24 after incumbent CJI S A Bobde demits office a day before. Justice Ramana would retire on August 26, 2022.
The chief minister, speaking at her first major political rally after the Lok Sabha polls, also said the party will launch a statewide protest on July 26, demanding return of black money "siphoned off" by the BJP.
The biennial election to the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand, which was countermanded over allegations of use of money-power and horse-trading, will now be held afresh on May 3, the Election Commission announced on Tuesday. The three-member commission decided the fresh dates in its meeting held today and a notification for the same would be issued on April 16, starting the process for filing of nominations.
Suhail Hindustani, arrested for his alleged involvement in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, on Tuesday sought bail from a Delhi court claiming he was merely trying to expose the "horse trading" going on before the voting on Congress-led United Progressive Alliance-I government's trust motion.
Pilot said he will be taking 'appropriate and strictest possible legal action' against the MLA who 'was made to' level these accusations. Congress MLA Giriraj Singh Malinga alleged that Pilot had offered him money to join the BJP.
'Our courts may fail, there may be lot of corruption in the working of our criminal justice system, but ultimately the justice of God will prevail,' says Sudheendra Kulkarni, recently released from bail in the cash-for-votes case.
The judgement penned by Justice Ramana in the Anuradha Bhasin case related to internet ban in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 provisions has been hailed by many as one of the progressive verdicts.
Vicky Nanjappa reports on the changing mindset of the dominant Lingayat community in Karnataka with regard to who their new chief minister should be.
The apex court said it is not considering the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress' combine's plea that they be invited to form government in Maharashtra.
Bajpai said he quit the AAP as he felt "suffocated" over the "misbehaviour and insult" meted out by the party and claimed that several other legislators of the ruling party in the national capital felt the same way.
The BJP on the other hand is in power in 16 states in the country.
Sleuths of the Income Tax department on Monday conducted raids on the residences and offices of two Member of Legislative Assembly of the Bharatiya Janata Party, according to sources. Raids were conducted at the residences and offices of Suresh Babu and Nagendra. According to sources, raids were conducted in 60 different places including their offices at Bellary and Bengaluru. Their residences were also searched by I-T department officials. I-T sleuths have seized black money
A team of the CBI's special crime unit in Delhi is in Jaipur to record statements in connection with the death of Rajgarh Station House Officer (SHO) Vishnudutt Vishnoi, whose body was found hanging from the ceiling of his official residence.
Pilot has spoken to a senior party leader from southern India on Thursday laying conditions for his return.
'As far as I know, Sachin Pilotji is not going to the BJP.'
With the Uttarakhand assembly set to witness a crucial floor test on May 10, a new crisis has risen for former chief minister Harish Rawat in the form of a fresh sting video, which allegedly shows Congress Member of Legislative Assembly Madan Singh admitting to horse-trading.
Assam's opposition parties including the BJP, AGP and AIUDF accused the ruling Congress of murdering democracy even as party won the election to two of the Rajya Sabha after four of the BJP MLAs and two AIUDF MLAs decided to vote for Congress candidate defying a party whip to vote for opposition's common candidate Jayanta Baruah, a media baron.
