The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear a petition filed by six former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislators demanding the transfer of a petition from the Rajasthan high court to the apex court, according to reports.

In 2019, the six members of BSP had merged with the Congress. And, now they face disqualification petitions filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Madan Dilawar. The disqualification pleas was rejected by Rajasthan assembly speaker CP Joshi on July 29.

After Joshi rejected Dilawar’s plea, he approach the Rajasthan high court, which issued notice to Joshi on July 30 but refused to stay the speaker’s directive.

In a related development, the Congress party approached the high court to be added as a party to the proceedings there. Tuesday’s hearing could decide the fate of the six BSP MLAs — Sandeep Yadav (Tijara), Wajib Ali (Nagar), Deepchand Kheria (Kishangarh Bas), Lakhan Singh Meena (Karauli) and Rajendra Gudha (Udaipurwati) ahead of a crucial special assembly session called by chief minister Ashok Gehlot, beginning from August 14.

While the proceedings remain pending in the high court, Dilawar filed an appeal in the Supreme Court to stay the speaker’s July 29 order. A stay could be crucial in the event chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who has faced a rebellion by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs of his party, faces a trust vote in the House.

Sandeep Yadav, Wajib Ali, Deepchand Kheria, Lakhan Meena, Jogendra Awana and Rajendra Gudha won the 2018 assembly elections on BSP tickets. They applied for merger as a group with the Congress on September 16 last year. The Speaker passed an order two days later declaring that the six MLAs will be treated as an integral part of the Congress.

The merger was a boost to the Ashok Gehlot-led government as the Congress tally increased to 107 in a House of 200.