Rajasthan crisis: At loggerheads with Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot to skip key party meet tomorrow

New Delhi, July 12: At loggerheads with Ashok Gehlot, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, who claims to have the support of 30 MLAs is likely to skip the Congress Legislature Party in Jaipur on Monday.

Pilot is said to be upset over a notice sent to him by the Rajasthan police, who claimed to have stumbled on a plot to topple the Congress government.

The notice from the Special Operations Group (SOG) seeks time from him to record a statement. The same notice has also been sent to Gehlot, Government Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi and some other MLAs, but those close to Pilot insisted that it was meant to "humiliate" him.

Independent MLAs supporting the Gehlot government have also been invited, in what is planned to be a show of strength for Gehlot.

The posturing comes amid allegations by Gehlot that the opposition BJP is trying to lure Congress MLAs to topple the state government.

The BJP has dismissed the claim, saying the developments only reflect a power struggle between Gehlot and Pilot, simmering since the Congress leadership in Delhi picked the more senior leader for the CM's post.

Earlier, the government had the support of all 13 independent MLAs, who also voted for the Congress candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections last month.