Rajasthan Rift: Sachin Pilot says government in minority, to skip Gehlot's meeting on Monday

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Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot will not be attending legislative party meeting called by CM Ashok Gehlot. The meeting is scheduled to take place at 10:30 am on Monday. Meanwhile, Sachin Pilot has released information in media that says 30 Congress MLAs and some independents had pledged support to him.

Sources have told India TV that Sachin Pilot is in contact with BJP. However, there has not been any official meeting between Pilot and prominent BJP leaders. Such a meeting will only take place if Sachin Pilot decides to leave Congress. BJP is understood to be in 'wait and watch' mode right now.

Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot held a meeting with party MLAs at his residence on Sunday evening. Though it was not immediately clear how many MLAs attended the meeting, MLAs emerging from CM's residence said that there was no threat to Rajasthan government and that it has comfortable majority in the assembly.

Rajasthan Government is increasingly finding itself in a spot after rift between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot deepened after a notice served to both of them by Rajasthan Police.

Rajasthan Police on Friday arrested two people for allegedly resorting to horse-trading of MLAs in order to topple Rajasthan Government. The notice served to Sachin Pilot in relation to efforts to destabilise his own government is understood to have angered Pilot.

Pilot on Sunday was in New Delhi to meet senior leadership of the Congress, but he could not meet either Sonia or Rahul Gandhi.

Sensing trouble and a possible rebellion, Congress rushed Randeep Singh Surjewala and Ajay Maken to Jaipur to stabilise party ranks and pacify Sachin Pilot. However, Pilot did not respond to calls made by the Congress leaders. He is not responding to calls made by other senior Congress leaders as well.

Headquarters of Sachin Pilot's department sealed:

Rajasthan Government on Sunday, sealed headquarters of Panchayati Raj Department, a ministry headed by Sachin Pilot. The action was taken as 2 officials of the department were found positive for Covid-19. The headquarters will be kept closed on July 13 and July 14.

The number game:

In 200-seat Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Congress has 106 MLAs. 12 out of 13 independent  MLAs support the Congress government. However, 3 have pulled back their support on Sunday morning.

2 tribal MLAs and 1 Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA are supporting Congress.

2 CPI(M) MLAs have given outside support to Gehlot

BJP has 72 MLAs

(Reported by Manish Bhattacharya, Devendra Parashar and Vijai Laxmi)