Rajasthan Crisis LIVE Updates: The Bharatiya Janata Party is “eagerly waiting and watching out” for the legislative party meet called by chief minister Ashok Gehlot, sources in the party said. They added that the BJP needs supports of nearly 35 MLAs, and Independents were in touch with the party state leadership. The meeting will showcase the number of MLAs who are with Sachin Pilot, thus clearing the picture, sources said.
Meanwhile, some Congress MLAs, who were said to be in Delhi earlier today along with Pilot, cited various reasons for their visit, assuring that they’ll be with their party “till the last breath”.
In a veiled attack on Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot’s wife on Sunday tweeted that even that magicians start sweating when the deputy CM takes the Delhi route. Sources said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Pilot had been in touch over a last couple of days. However, they assured that the issue will be resolved soon. The statement seems to be aimed at Gehlot, who belongs to a magician’s family and is also credited for conjuring the chief ministerial post for himself.
Rajasthan’s deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday arrived in Delhi with 16 MLAs considered loyal to him and three independent MLAs as the crisis in the Congress government in the state deepened due to his feud with chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
According to sources, Pilot is upset that he was served summons on Saturday under section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (criminal conspiracy) in a probe against BJP’s alleged attempt to destabilise the government. The summons, sources said may be the last straw for Pilot, who has had clashes with Gehlot since even before the Congress formed the government in the state.
The deputy CM met senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot late on Saturday night and tikd him that chief minister Ashok Gehlot was trying to sideline him, and was given assurances that “injustice will not be allowed to happen to him”.
The meeting followed fast-paced political developments in Jaipur that have sent alarm bells ringing in Congress high command as a deepening rift between Gehlot and Pilot threatens of a fate similar to what happened in Madhya Pradesh, where Jyotiraditya Scindia walked out the government with his MLAs, leading to the downfall of the Congress.
Sources said that Congress’ interim chief Sonia Gandhi is likely to speak to Pilot on Sunday to douse the fire even as BJP looks to take advantage of the political slugfest.
In Jaipur, CM Gehlot called a meeting with his ministers and and MLAs. Chief whip Mahesh Joshi, Deputy chief whip Mahendra Chaudhary are among those present at Gehlot’s house.
The CM had on Saturday accused the opposition BJP of trying to topple his government by offering his legislators large sums of money. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were unable to “tolerate” him or his government and were therefore planning a conspiracy.
Rejecting Gehlot’s allegations, BJP state president Satish Poonia said the political situation in the state was the result of infighting in the Congress and the chief minister was just trying to shift the blame.
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