Rajasthan political crisis: Sonia upset with Gehlot, seeks written report | As it happened

Amid all the crisis that unravelled in Rajasthan sending Congress into a dizzy, senior leader Rahul Gandhi was spotted playing football with kids in Kerala. He has so far stayed mum on the political crisis that is unfolding in the state.

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Status-quo to be maintained till Congress president election nominations. Decision on issuing of show cause notices to miffed MLAs, vocal in public, will be taken after interim chief takes action on report by Observers: Sources

AICC Observers will submit a report to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi either tonight or tomorrow.

Kamal Nath, MP leader who is reportedly called to Delhi to broker a truce between Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, reaches Sonia Gandhi's residence - 10, Janpath. 

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday met with the observer for the state Mallikarjun Kharge amid the ongoing political crisis.
After the meeting, Kharge said that there should be discipline in the party and the party has to be kept united.

"We have informed the Congress president about what happened yesterday. Everybody has to abide by whatever decision is taken eventually. We have to keep the party united. There should be discipline in the party," he said.

The remarks regarding the discipline come in line with the statement of Ajay Maken, another observer for the state, who termed the "parallel" meeting called by state Minister Shanti Dhariwal at his residence on Sunday an "undisciplined move".

"It is an act of indiscipline. When an official meeting has been called, and if a parallel unofficial meeting is conducted, it is an act of indiscipline. We will see what action to be taken," Maken said earlier today.

Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath is likely to be pitched in to defuse the full blown political crisis in Rajasthan after the efforts of state in-charge Ajay Maken and Observer Mallikarjun Kharge went in vain, source said on Monday.

Before leaving for the national capital on Monday, Congress leader Maken, who was in Jaipur along with Mallikarjun Kharge to convene the CLP meeting for deciding on a new CM face, told media that three members from the Gehlot camp had met them with as many proposals, which had to be turned down to avoid conflicts of interests.

Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi and Pratap Khachriyawas, representing the Gehlot group, visited him on Sunday night with three proposals and said "a strict no" for Sachin Pilot as the new CM, Maken said.

"Their first proposal said that if you want to pass a resolution, then the Congress high command should take a final decision, then pass it after October 19 (counting of votes for party presidential poll).

"We told them that this raises conflict of interest, as if Gehlot is elected as the Congress president then this proposal will empower him further after October 19 and there can be no bigger conflict of interest than this.

"Secondly, when we told them that we wanted to talk to each of them in person, they insisted on talking in groups. We categorically told them that it has been the Congress practice to take feedback from each leader, but they stood their ground on coming in groups besides saying 'you will have to publicly announce this'.

"Thirdly, they said that the CM should be picked from the 102 MLAs who were loyal during the rebellion, and not from the Pilot group," Maken said.

Sonia Gandhi today spoke to former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who will arrive in Delhi

Reports - Vijay Laxmi

Several miffed MLAs are likely to arrive in Delhi by today evening. Some are also reported to arrive by tomorrow.

Reports - Manish Bhattacharya

Sachin Pilot says he is not coming to Delhi as of now, will remain in Jaipur. 

"Will take decision after the high command's word," says Pilot

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today met Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge after he arrived at Marriott hotel

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.

Miffed over the recent political developments in the crisis-hit state and the conduct of the MLAs of the Gehlot camp, the CWC members have registered a complaint against him with the party chief and said, "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".

High command should decide on CM face. After such an episode, there's no possibility (of Ashok Gehlot becoming Congress president). Why was another meeting called, when a meeting at CM's residence was to be held, isn't it rebellion?: Congress MLA KL Bairwa

Congress leader and observer for Rajasthan, Ajay Maken on Monday dubbed the "unofficial" meeting conducted by state minister Shanti Dhariwal with the rebel MLAs of the Ashok Gehlot camp an "indisciplined move", while also stating that the party has never allowed "conditional resolutions" to take place, as against the demands by the group.

"The meeting of the CLP was scheduled with the approval of the Chief Minister at his residence. For those MLAs who did not turn up, we had been saying that we are here to hear everybody's issues. We will listen to their issues one-to-one. Whatever you will say will be conveyed in Delhi. Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Hoshi and Pratap Singh came to us as their representatives. They put forward three conditions," Maken told media persons.

First - If CM Ashok Gehlot becomes Congress chief after October 19, he can empower himself over his own resolution

Second - They wanted to come in groups when we said that we shall talk to everyone individually; we made it clear that this isn't how it works, but they didn't accept, says Ajay Maken

Third - The CM should be from the 102 MLAs who are loyal to CM Ashok Gehlot, not Sachin Pilot or his group. 

We said that their exact sentiments will be conveyed to the Congress chief, who will take the decision after talking to CM Ashok Gehlot and everyone else, said Ajay Maken

They (Cong MLAs) insisted that the resolution be in line with the three conditions, to which we said that never in the history of Congress has any resolution been passed with strings attached to it and which is conditional. There should be no conflict of interest, says Ajay Maken

Congress MLAs Pratap Khachariyawas, S Dhariwal & CP Joshi met us and kept three demands. One was to announce the implementation of the resolution of handing over the responsibility (to appoint CM) to Congress President after Oct 19; we said it'll be a conflict of interest: AICC observer A Maken

Mallikarjun Kharge and I came here as AICC observers to hold a meeting in accordance with CM's convenience at the latter's residence. We were continuously telling the MLAs who didn't come to come & talk one-to-one: AICC observer Ajay Maken

I think less entertainment happened in 'Bharat Jodo', now it has started in Rajasthan. This fight of Congress shows that they just want to enjoy the power, don't want to serve the public. Congress has neither direction nor a leader: Union Min Anurag Thakur

Efforts were underway by senior Congress leaders on Monday to resolve the impasse in Rajasthan after several MLAs loyal to Ashok Gehlot submitted resignation letters over a possible move to appoint Sachin Pilot as the next chief minister.

This 'naatak' should not happen, enough with this drama. Sometimes they stay in hotels for days, the other times the leaders who run the govt go into another party, nothing can be more unfortunate: Deputy LoP of State Assembly, Rajendra Rathore

This govt (Rajasthan) arose with an internal dispute, which is still ongoing. For the 1st time, MLAs have defied their high command. CM should call an emergency cabinet meeting to dissolve the Assembly. BJP has nothing to do with this: Rajendra Rathore

Both AICC observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken will come to Delhi today and submit the report to the top leadership. Miffed MLAs are not ready to meet the observers. 

The next step will be decided after the discussion with the high command: Sources

Amid the political crisis in Rajasthan Congress, State Minister Mahesh Joshi on Monday said that they want the party to take care of people who have been loyal to Congress.

He further said that every MLA believes in interim president Sonia Gandhi that their demands will be considered.

"Every MLA has faith in interim president Sonia Gandhi. We have kept our point and expect that our demands will be considered when the final decision is taken by the high command. We want the party to take care of people who've been loyal to Congress," said Joshi.

Gehlot and Pilot were at loggerheads over the chief minister's post soon after the Congress won the Assembly elections in December 2018.

The high command then chose Gehlot as the chief minister for the third time while Pilot was made his deputy.

In July 2020, Pilot along with 18 party MLAs rebelled against Gehlot's leadership

The aborted CLP meeting was seen as a crucial step ahead of Gehlot filing his nomination for the Congress president’s post, amid speculation that the former deputy chief minister Pilot will take his place in the state.

Gehlot, seen by many as a reluctant candidate for the top party position, initially appeared unwilling to give up his CM’s post. 

Later, it was speculated that he would rather see CP Joshi --- or anyone else --- as CM rather than Pilot, who had rebelled against his leadership.

Ministers Shanti Dhariwal, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and Mahesh Joshi, along with CM Gehlot's advisor Sanyam Lodha met the AICC observers, but the standoff continued.

They wanted the decision on the next CM to be left till after the Congress organisational election and stressed that Gehlot should have a say in picking the new CM who should be someone who stood by the veteran leader during the rebellion by Pilot supporters in 2020.

The loyalists said the views of MLAs should be taken into account.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday directed observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken to conduct one-on-one talks with Rajasthan MLAs to resolve the issue.

Late at night, there were efforts by Kharge and Maken to persuade Gehlot loyalists to meet them one on one, if not as part of the planned MLAs’ meeting.

Ministers Shanti Dhariwal, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and Mahesh Joshi, along with CM Gehlot's advisor Sanyam Lodha met the AICC observers, but the standoff continued.