RAJ COPS IN HOT PURSUIT OF MLA

A team of the Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group, which is probing the alleged conspiracy to oust CM Ashok Gehlot's government, came knocking at the doors of two resorts in Haryana, about 5 km apart, on Friday evening.

Cooped up at the two resorts are the 18 Congress MLAs belonging to the Pilot faction. The SOG had come looking for the man of the moment -- MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma – whose voice is allegedly heard in an audio tape negotiating with a BJP leader.

The SOG team was made to wait for an hour and a half outside one of the resorts before being allowed to enter. A Haryana police contingent also showed and a showdown seemed inevitable. They were permitted to enter only after Haryana Police discussed the matter with their counterparts in Rajasthan. However, the SOG team drew a blank and could not find MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma on the premises.

The Congress has questioned Pilot’s motives in choosing hotels in Haryana, which is controlled by the BJP, for lodging his loyalists.

BREATHER FOR REBELS: Rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and his group of 18 MLAs on Friday got a breather until Tuesday evening from the Rajasthan High Court which is hearing a petition challenging their proposed expulsion from the Assembly under the anti-defection law. The court reasoned that the 2-day notice served on them by Speaker C P Joshi was too short a period and wanted the MLAs be given at least seven days to respond, to save their membership of the House.