Jaipur, Jan 2 (IANS): The Rajasthan High Court on Monday refused to keep the issue relating to the resignations of MLAs who supported Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot pending indefinitely and posted the next hearing for January 16.

Hearing the petition of Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, a bench, headed by Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal asked the Advocate General to tell it about the time limit for the decision to be taken at the Speaker's level on the resignations.

It also refused to allow advocate P.C. Bhandari to be impleaded in the case.

In the previous hearing, the High Court had issued notice to the Speaker and the Assembly Secretary on the resignations.

On Monday, the Advocate General sought time to file a reply to the petition. However, the bench refused to keep the matter pending indefinitely and asked to inform about the decision in the next 10 days.

As the court allowed the Advocate General more time to submit the reply on behalf of the Assembly Speaker and the Assembly Secretary, Rathore asked on whose behalf was the law officer appearing - on behalf of the government or on behalf of the Speaker or Assembly Secretary.

"The MLAs who represent half the population say that they have left the post and then suddenly say that they will remain on the post. The decisions taken by the MLAs who remained in the cabinet for 97 days after resigning are also illegal," he argued.

Rathore said that the court heard the matter of a decision on the resignations of 91 MLAs not being taken for 97 days, and this was probably the first time in the parliamentary history of Rajasthan that the High Court has sought answers from the Speaker and the Secretary.

On September 25, 2022, pro-Gehlot MLAs boycotted the Legislature Party meeting and held a parallel meeting at the bungalow of minister Shanti Shanti Dhariwal where they resigned, to show their support to Gehlot.