New Delhi/Jaipur: Amid the chaos in Rajasthan Congress, party leader Sachin Pilot landed in Delhi on Tuesday though he remained evasive on the questions regarding the political situation. Meanwhile, senior party leader and former union minister AK Antony has also been summoned to Delhi.
Pilot flew to Delhi shortly after denying media reports stating that he told the party high command that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot should not remain in office if he decides to contest the party presidential poll. ANI reported quoting sources that Pilot had told the high command that it is his responsibility to bring the MLAs together.
"Congress MLA Sachin Pilot has told the Congress high command that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot should not remain CM if he decides to contest for the party president post & that it is his responsibility to bring MLAs together," the report said.
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Refuting the reports, Pilot said that says he has spoken neither with the party's high command nor with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. "Am afraid this is false news being reported"," he tweeted. Notably, Pilot is being seen as the successor of Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan engulfed by a political crisis triggered apparently by Gehlot agreeing to file his nomination in the Congress presidential polls and also wanting a successor of choice as CM in Rajasthan.
With party observers slamming some actions of loyalists of Chief Minister Gehlot, sources said the decision on issuing show cause notices to miffed MLAs, who have been vocal in public, will be taken after interim party chief Sonia Gandhi looks into the report by the observers sent to the state.
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"Status-quo to be maintained till Congress president election nominations. Decision on issuing of show cause notices to miffed MLAs, vocal in public will be taken after interim chief takes action on a report by observers," a source said.
Pilot had attended the CLP meeting called in Jaipur recently along with the MLAs of his camp in the presence of Central observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken. The MLAs of the Gehlot camp demanded that the next chief minister be chosen from the MLAs who stood by the party when Pilot allegedly revolted in 2020 against the Gehlot-led government.
BJP behind conspiracy to topple Cong govt in Rajasthan
Amid an ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan, state minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas charged the saffron ruling dispensation in the Centre was at work to topple the Congress government. "ED, income tax department, CBI officials are sitting in Rajasthan. BJP's game has started. BJP is again engaged in a conspiracy to topple the Rajasthan government," Khachariyawas told reporters here.
He said whatever decision the Congress high-command takes as regards the latest political developments in the state will be acceptable to all. On the other hand, another minister, Rajendra Singh Gudha, once again endorsed senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot's name for the chief minister's post.
Khachariyawas urged that the views of the MLAs should be heard and that he has faith in the party leadership. "Every Congress worker in the country considers Sonia Gandhi like his mother. A mother always does justice," he added.
Replying to a question on why the Gehlot loyalists held a parallel meeting instead of attending the CLP meet, Khachariyawas said they were not happy when they came to know that someone from the 19 people who had rebelled against Gehlot in 2020 was going to be the chief minister and they submitted their resignation to Assembly Speaker CP Joshi. "Still, whatever our in-charge, leadership, Ashok Gehlotji will decide, we will accept," he added.
