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New Delhi, Sep 26: The political drama in Rajasthan over leadership change continued on Monday with MLAs loyal to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot remaining non-committal on holding a meeting with Congress observers, who are likely to return to Delhi to apprise the high command about the developments.
Sachin Pilot, who is seen to be the main contender for the chief minister’s post if Gehlot is elected the party’s national president post, has left for New Delhi to meet the high command.
Party sources said 82 MLAs from ‘team Gehlot’, who had submitted resignation letters on Sunday over a possible move to appoint Pilot as the next chief minister, are likely to hold a meeting on Monday to decide their next course of action.
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If Gehlot is pulled out Congress prez race, Digvijaya Singh and Mukul Wasnik might join the race.
This development has irked the Congress Working Committee members who have registered their unhappiness over the political crisis. “It would not be good to lay faith in him and give him the responsibility of the party. The party top leadership should reconsider his candidature,” ANI quoted a source as saying. Now, they have demanded to find a replacement to Gehlot.
The development comes a day after 90 odd MLAs from Rajasthan Congress refused to attend the CLP meeting, which was supposed in the presence of AICC observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken. The CM supporters have indicated that they do not want Sachin Pilot as Gehlot’s successor and want the next CM to be someone who was instrumental in saving the government during the 2020 crisis.
Miffed with the unexpected turn of events in Rajasthan Congress, the central leadership has urged interim president Sonia Gandhi to drop Ashok Gehlot from the party’s presidential poll race.
However, several MLAs have left for their respective constituencies in view of Navratri festival, the party sources said. When asked whether the MLAs will meet the observers on Monday, Lodha said, whatever message has to be conveyed has been conveyed.
“A discussion will take place at the meeting about Sunday’s happenings. Time has not been fixed yet. (Minister Shanti) Dhariwal ji said on Sunday night that he will meet the Speaker on Monday and urge him to accept the resignations. But it is not decided,” chief minister’s advisor Sanyam Lodha said.