Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on July 12 declared open rebellion, claiming that he has the support of the 30 Congress MLAs and some independents in the State Assembly.

The statement released on Mr. Pilot’s WhatApp group claimed that the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is in minority now.

It said Mr. Pilot, who is also the State Congress president, will also skip the Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party meeting on July 13 morning.

“Rajasthan Deputy CM and Congress leader Sachin Pilot not to attend Congress (Legislature) Party meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow,” the message said.

The statement appeared just as Ministers and Congress MLAs were gathering at Mr. Gehlot’s official residence in Jaipur for a meeting to express support to the Chief Minister, amid the power tussle between the two leaders.

Mr. Gehlot has summoned a meeting of all party MLAs, amid intensification of the power struggle between the two Congress leaders.

Three Congress MLAs from ‘Pilot camp’ return

Meanwhile, three Congress MLAs, who had left for Delhi and were being counted among those in Mr. Pilot’s camp said they will follow the party line.

Addressing a press conference at Mr. Gehlot’s home in Jaipur, Rohit Bohra, Danish Abrar and Chetan Dudi called themselves “soldiers” of the party and said they will do whatever the top leadership tells them.

The legislators said their visit to Delhi was a routine affair and the media should not speculate over it. They added that it was the media that had created the Ashok Gehlot group and the Sachin Pilot group.

“We are with the Congress party which gave us tickets. The media trial, which is going on, has no sense. We are soldiers of the party and will remain so for lifetime,” Mr. Bohra said.

He said they had long association with the Congress and the media should not indulge in speculation.

Taking a taking a swipe at the media, Danish Abrar said: “I have been going to Delhi since childhood. Visiting Delhi is a normal affair, but, this time, it was made special.”

He underlined that Mr. Pilot is the Deputy Chief Minister and the Rajasthan Congress president and, therefore, meeting or talking to him is also a normal thing. “We are the soldiers of the Congress party at any cost,” he said.

The three legislators, who were in Delhi on July 11, held the joint press conference with State Ministers Harish Chaudhary, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and Raghu Sharma.

They asserted that the Congress government would complete its five year term.

Chetan Dudi said they have full faith in the leadership of Mr. Gehlot.

Asked about the rift between Mr. Gehlot and Mr. Pilot, Mr. Dudi said it was the media that is speculating. “There can be differences in any party, but when it comes about the interest of the party, all remain united under the party flag,” he said.

“Congress gave us tickets and we are with the Congress party. We remain with the decision of the party high command and it is the media which talks about groups,” Mr. Dudi said.

Mr. Bohra said none of them had been approached by the BJP, wondering why would the MLAs not have confidence in Mr. Gehlot when the Congress Legislature Party had elected its leader.

Mr. Chaudhary, the Revenue Minister, said all the party MLAs would attend the Congress Legislature Party meeting on July 13.

Mr. Sharma, the Health Minister, alleged that the BJP was trying to topple the state government, but the Congress was alert. He said all the party MLAs are united and have confidence in Mr. Gehlot’s leadership.

Pilot not reachable, says AICC Rajasthan in-charge

The Congress Legislature Party in Jaipur is also likely to be attended by Avinash Pande, the All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Rajasthan, sources said.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Pande said he has not been able to reach Mr. Pilot, who is also the head of the State Congress unit, over the last two days. “I have left messages for him,” he told PTI, even as he asserted that there was no threat to the Congress government in Rajasthan.

Mr. Pilot’s supporters said he is camping in Delhi and is upset over a notice sent to him by the Rajasthan Police, who claimed to have stumbled on a plot to topple the Congress government.

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The notice from the Special Operations Group (SOG) seeks time from him to record a statement.

The same notice has also been sent to Mr. Gehlot, government Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi and some other MLAs, but those close to Mr. Pilot insisted that it was meant to humiliate him.

Sunday’s meeting at CM’s official residence in the State capital was scheduled to take place at 9 p.m., Congress sources said.

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

The posturing comes amid allegations by Mr. 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 Mr. Gehlot and Mr. Pilot, simmering since the Congress leadership in Delhi picked the more senior leader for the CM’s post.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal tweeted concern. “Worried for our party. Will we wake up only after the horses have bolted from our stables?” he asked.

Hours before the scheduled meeting, Revenue Minister Harish Choudhary, Labour Minister Tikaram Jully, Health Minister Raghu Sharma and several other MLAs met Mr. Gehlot at his residence.

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“We have faith in the leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and we have expressed this to him,” Independent MLA Babulal Nagar told reporters.

Sports Minister Ashok Chandna urged party MLAs to take a lesson from the recent developments in Madhya Pradesh, where Jyotiraditiya Scindia switched sides.

Any person who crosses the party line will not be respected anywhere in the world. This is not the time to lose the respect earned over generations, Mr. Chandna said, without naming anyone.

In a tweet on July 12, Mr. Gehlot stressed that the police notices had gone to several people, including him. He did not name Mr. Pilot, but said that a section of the media had interpreted the notices wrongly.

The notices have been issued to the chief minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, the government Chief Whip and some other MLAs. It is a part of the process, SOG Additional Director General Ashok Rathore told PTI on July 12.

He said as the investigation proceeds, others could also be issued notices.

Independent MLA Nagar said he is among the legislators issued with the notice.

The SOG has issued notice to me and has sought time. There are other MLAs who have received such notices, Nagar said.

Apart from the SOG inquiry, the State’s Anti-Corruption Bureau has also begun a probe into the alleged bid to bring down the government.

The Congress government has distanced itself from the three independent MLAs — Khushveer Singh, Omprakash Hudla and Suresh Tak — who were named in ACB’s preliminary enquiry (PE).

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.

At a press conference on July 11, Mr. Gehlot had cited the FIR lodged by the SOG to accuse the BJP of trying to bring down his government and cited the FIR registered by the SOG.

The FIR is based on an alleged tapped phone conversation between two men, said to be BJP members, who were later arrested.

The Congress has 107 members and the BJP 72 in the 200-MLA State Assembly.