Rajasthan Congress crisis: The embattled Congress high command made further attempts on Thursday to find a solution to the Rajasthan crisis. CM Ashok Gehlot met the party's interim chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in the day and apologized for the MLAs' fiasco. He also told reporters that he will not contest the Congress presidential polls citing "moral responsibility".
The two leaders who are the focal points of the looming crisis that brought Congress to its knees - Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot - reached Sonia Gandhi's residence - 10, Janpath - late Thursday evening for a reported "crucial meeting". As Sachin Pilot reached Sonia Gandhi's residence, CM Gehlot reportedly reached there too, from the back gate. After the meeting, India TV reporters spotted Sonia Gandhi leaving her residence. She is reportedly headed to Priyanka Gandhi's house.
Sachin Pilot talked to reporters after the meeting, and said, "I met Congress president today. She listened to me calmly. We held a detailed discussion on whatever happened in Jaipur, Rajasthan. I told her my sentiments, my feedback. All of us want to win the 2023 polls (in Rajasthan) by working hard. We'll have to work together."
Quick updates on the Rajasthan crisis vis-a-vis Congress Presidential polls
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Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday night met Sonia Gandhi and discussed the crisis in the party's Rajasthan unit, and later said the Congress chief would take "positive decisions" with regard to the state.
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After the unprecedented Rajasthan crisis, the Congress high command also issued a notice stating that strict disciplinary action will be taken against leaders making public statements on internal matters of the party and against other party functionaries.
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Party general secy K C Venugopal said that Sonia would take a decision on who would be the Rajasthan CM in "a day or two". On the presidential election, he said things would become clear by Friday afternoon when the nomination process would end.
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Eighty-two MLAs loyal to Gehlot participated in a parallel meeting at a minister's residence in Jaipur instead of joining a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party convened for passing a resolution authorising the Congress chief to appoint a successor to Gehlot, who was to contest the Congress presidential election.
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Digvijaya Singh, Congress leader to make it freshly official that he will be contesting the presidential polls, collected his nomination papers earlier in the day. Singh said in the evening that "The Nehru-Gandhi family will remain our leader. Whoever becomes the party president will work under their leadership...Our priority is to see how the situation in the country improves, won't let the country divide or the constitution weaken."
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While Singh said he would file his nomination on Friday, it remained unclear whether he or someone else would have the backing of Sonia Gandhi as her successor, with sources saying a Dalit candidate could emerge as a dark horse for the top party post.
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Former minister in Jharkhand K N Tripathi also collected a set of nomination papers for the top party post.
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Tharoor, who will file his nomination on the last day on Friday, had a meeting with Singh and the two leaders said theirs would not be a contest of rivals but of friends and the Congress will finally win.
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Sources said Mallikarjun Kharge is being considered as a frontrunner for the post and will be meeting Gandhi Friday morning. The names of Mukul Wasnik and Kumari Selja are also doing the rounds.
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