Ashok Gehlot has proved that a strong state leader can challenge the Congress high command.
With the deepening political crisis in Rajasthan over the appointment of Ashok Gehlot's successor, Congress Working Committee members have demanded from Sonia Gandhi to pull the state chief minister out of the race for the party chief and select another candidate for the top post, sources said on Monday.
In his remarks at the rallies, Pilot has cornered the Gehlot government over issues such as the repeated paper leaks and political appointments of retired bureaucrats while sidelining party workers.
Dominic Xavier wonders how a rebel leader -- and clearly, Gehlot is one after Sunday's rebellion by his MLA supporters, no matter his assertions to the high command's emissaries that he has no links to the mutiny -- can now lead the national party which so badly needs the adhesive of unity and tender care.
Pilot, who is involved in a power tussle with Gehlot, on Monday said paper leak incidents hurt the aspirations of the youth.
"Whoever said all those words you mentioned, I did not respond in kind because it is not the way I am built and we now have to move on, let bygones be bygones, whatever was said, we need to forget and move forward. It is not about individuals or positions or someone's statements now. It is about the country and the party," Pilot said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday sacked Rajendra Gudha as minister of state, hours after he cornered the state government in the assembly.
Asked whether it was an effort at unity, he said this is not an attempt but a reality. "We are one."
Pilot, who was the deputy chief minister in Rajasthan and was removed from the post after a fallout with Gehlot, said he and the former chief minister have discussed the issues that were there, and they did not affect the election.
Congress in charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that the one who does not follow the ideology of the Congress has no place in the party and the decision to sack Gudha was a collective decision.
The Congress refrained from commenting on any peace formula between Gehlot and Pilot.
"Next challenge for us is to win elections, neither individuals nor statements matter, those are bygones," he said.
Pilot's demand to order a probe and take action in the alleged mining scam during the previous BJP government and other corruption allegations was supported by state cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.
The hoardings have photos of Pilot and Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Jodhpur and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and a line 'Why are you silent on Sanjivani scam Pilot ji? People want an answer'.
The minister, however, said that the win or loss does not belong to a specific person and it is the decision of the public to elect a particular candidate.
Rathore, however, said he was a "true soldier" of the Congress party and it was in the public domain who had damaged the party.
The Congress leadership is caught in a peculiar situation and wants to find a middle path to the issue, party sources said.
It is believed that Gehlot allegedly likened Pilot to coronavirus.
Raje however, said that "Gehlot's 'praises' is a big conspiracy" against her.
Pilot said Gehlot has been calling him 'nikamma, naakara, gaddar and so on' but it was not part of his upbringing to use such language.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's speech in Dholpur reflects that his leader is Vasundhara Raje and not Sonia Gandhi, Sachin Pilot said in a no holds barred attack against his party colleague on Tuesday.
Days after a crisis erupted in Rajasthan Congress, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot met food and civil supplies minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas at the latter's residence in Jaipur on Monday night.
After the meeting, Kharge said that there should be discipline in the party and the party has to be kept united.
The statement of Gudha came after former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi batted for the "one-man, one-post" concept in lines with the party's Chintan Shivir reforms amid possibility of Gehlot contesting election for the post of national president of the party.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot's 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' on the issues of corruption and government recruitment exam paper leaks continued to draw support from people on its fourth day on Sunday.
Amid speculation over Congress leader Sachin Pilot's next move, sources close to him on Tuesday said he was firm on his demands, including action against alleged corruption during the previous Vasundhara Raje government, and was waiting for a definitive response from the party high command.
The development suggested a worsening power struggle between the chief minister and Sachin Pilot who was tipped to be Gehlot's replacement after he declared his candidature for the Congress president's post.
With party observers slamming some actions of loyalists of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, sources said decision on issuing show cause notices to miffed MLAs, who have been vocal in public, will be taken after interim chief looks Sonia Gandhi into the report by the observers sent to the state.
Gehlot said there is no such tradition in the party to offer posts to any leader in order to pacify him.
Ramesh also said the Congress leadership is considering a proper solution to the Rajasthan issue.
The Congress in Rajasthan plunged into a crisis on Sunday as several MLAs loyal to Ashok Gehlot submitted resignation letters over a possible move to appoint Sachin Pilot as the next chief minister, their rebellion erupting just ahead of a Congress Legislature Party meeting.
Supporters of the two leaders are competing in Hadoti to highlight their dominance, which is visible from the hoardings in the region. This has also led to blame games between leaders of the two factions.
On a visit to his Tonk assembly constituency, the dissident Congress leader indicated that it was the last day before what was being seen as an ultimatum to Gehlot ends.
Pilot said rules and discipline of the party apply to all, adding that he hoped Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge would take a decision in the matter soon.
The BJP's nationwide vote share saw its steepest decline in Rajasthan, falling by 9.23% from 2019, resulting in the loss of 11 seats.
The move by Pilot to open a new front against Gehlot amid the factional fighting is seen as an attempt to pressure the party high command to resolve the leadership issue ahead of the year-end polls.
Names of senior party leaders Kharge, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mukul Wasnik and Kumari Selja are now also doing the rounds for the post.
The party is very much united and working together, the AICC general secretary organisation said.
The notice comes days before Delhi high court is scheduled to hear the Delhi police Crime Branch's application seeking vacating of an interim order staying coercive action against Sharma.
Gehlot expressed his sadness over the turn of affairs in the state.
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