Rajasthan political crisis: Even as sources suggest that Ashok Gehlot is still in the Congress Presidential race, Gehlot loyalist and Rajasthan minister PS Khachariyawas said that Congress observers should not have been unhappy so early and could have waited for a while.
"Observers shouldn't be upset this early, they should have waited for a while. We don't want to fight with our own people. If a senior leader like Dhariwal has raised issues then the party should pay heed to them" added Kachariyawas.
The leader also added that an atmosphere was created, which made people think that the chief minister should be made with the support of 19 MLAs and not 102 MLAs. "It's on Sonia Gandhi to decide on Ashok Gehlot's nomination (for Congress president)," added Khachariyawas.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot left for Delhi on Tuesday amid an ongoing political turmoil in the state. Sources close to Congress leader said he has gone to the national capital for personal work and it has nothing to do with the latest political developments in Rajasthan.
Pilot took a flight to Delhi in the afternoon. The Congress in Rajasthan plunged into a crisis on Sunday as several MLAs loyal to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot resigned over a possible move to appoint Pilot as Gehlot's successor, their rebellion erupting just ahead of a Congress Legislature Party meeting.
The open rebellion by MLAs close to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has put a question mark on whether he would still run for the Congress president's post or if someone else will replace him as a candidate supported by the current leadership.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi had on Monday sought a written report on the revolt in Rajasthan from party observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as the chances of Ashok Gehlot becoming the party chief receded and other names cropped up for the post.
Kharge and Maken, who were sent as observers to Jaipur for a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, briefed Gandhi after their return to Delhi and termed the parallel meet held by Gehlot loyalists as "indiscipline".
They are expected to recommend disciplinary action against those behind the move, including minister Shanti Dhariwal and Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi.
Gehlot loyalists had submitted resignation letters to Assembly Speaker C P Joshi on Sunday evening, in an apparent bid to put pressure on the central leadership to pick someone from the Gehlot camp as CM if the veteran leader is elected the party president.
The loyalist MLAs indicated that they were against the appointment of Sachin Pilot, who led a rebellion against Gehlot in 2020, to the post.
On Monday, Gehlot loyalist Dhariwal accused Maken, AICC in-charge for Rajasthan, of being involved in a conspiracy to remove Gehlot as chief minister and alleged he was canvassing for Pilot.
Sonia Gandhi is reportedly "upset" over the Rajasthan developments as Gehlot was being considered as her successor for the top post. Sources said Gehlot told the two observers that he is not behind the Jaipur development and the MLAs involved in it were not listening to him.
Also Read: Rajasthan political crisis: Sonia upset with Gehlot, seeks written report | As it happened
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