The political drama in Rajasthan on Monday intensified with pulls and pressures of pro-Gehlot lobby and the Congess headquarters. As many as 100 MLAs, known to be loyalists of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, remained adamant that Sachin Pilot whom they termed as a ‘traitor’ cannot be the next Chief Minister in case Gehlot moves to Delhi as party President. However, the open show of rebellion antagonised the party bigwigs in New Delhi and interim chief Sonia Gandhi asked party observers to file report on the whole episode. Sources said that Gehlot is not going to be the Gandhi family pick for the Congress President any more.
As the Congress seeks to tide over the political crisis in Rajasthan triggered by efforts to find a successor to Chief Minister Gehlot, sources said status quo will be maintained till the process is over for filing nominations.
“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 report by observers,” a source said.
With party observers slamming some actions of loyalists of Gehlot, sources said decision on issuing show cause notices to miffed MLAs, who have been vocal in public, will be taken after Sonia looks into the report. AICC observers will submit a written report to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi, most possibly on Tuesday.
“Mallikarjun Kharge and I briefed Congress chief everything about our meeting in Rajasthan in detail. Now she has asked us for a written report that will be given to her by tonight or tomorrow,” Ajay Maken, an observer told reporters.
Earlier during the day, three ministers, all Gehlot loylists, met observers to put forward three conditions.
They demanded that a decision on a CLP resolution should be after declaration of Congress presidential poll results on 19 October. Rejecting the condition, observers said a resolution is not passed with conditions and also noted that any such move will be “a conflict of interest” for Gehlot.
Observers said the ministers also demanded that MLAs should meet them in groups and this was not acceptable. “We wanted to meet every MLA individually so that the decision is free and fair,” observers said.
The three ministers also said that successor to Gehlot should be chosen from among 102 MLAs, who had stood by him during the crisis in 2020. Gehlot government had faced political crisis in 2020 over demands led by Sachin Pilot and MLAs loyal to him.
The party hoped that the MLAs would find a way out of the political crisis. “We have no idea how many MLAs have tendered their resignations. We hope that all the Congress MLAs will sit and talk and find a way out,” Maken said.
A legislative party meeting was scheduled on Sunday evening at the residence of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the presence of the observers, which was attended by Sachin Pilot and his camp MLAs, however, the Gehlot loyalists had held a meeting with Cabinet Minister Shanti Dhariwal at his residence, following which over 90 MLAs had submitted their resignations to Speaker CP Joshi.
“Among the 102 MLAs who stood firmly with Sonia Gandhi, someone should be elected CM. Shanti Dhariwal and senior MLAs like Pratap Khachariawas and Mahesh Joshi put this thing loudly in front of the observers, the observers assured them that they had come only to take opinion and after taking everyone’s opinion, Congress President Sonia Gandhi will take the decision,” the sources said. Observers made it clear to the defiant MLAs that a decision on leadership in the state will be taken in Delhi and not Jaipur.
