Security outside Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s house.
Rajasthan Government crisis Live Updates: With a political crisis threatening the Ashok-Gehlot government in Rajasthan, the Congress has issued a whip to all its MLAs ahead of its legislative party meeting in Jaipur on Monday. Late on Sunday night, Congress general secretary and Rajasthan-in-charge Avinash Pande dismissed Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot’s claims that the government was reduced to a minority, saying that 109 MLAs have signed letters to show their allegiance to the present government.
The move to test the political waters of Congress in the state comes just four months after the party let Madhya Pradesh slip from its grasp. This has once again underlined the leadership vacuum in the party and how its sense of drift is deepening faultlines within: old versus young, second-generation leaders versus those who rose through the ranks.
Meanwhile, the BJP is watching closely to see if it can find an opportunity put up an alternate arrangement in Jaipur. But the party is not yet ready to take any step, a source said. “We are just watching the situation. The game still does not appear to be set for the BJP,” a senior party leader said.
Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot claimed that the Congress government in the state has been reduced to a minority.
"The people of Rajasthan had given an opportunity to the Congress to form the government in the state, they should have used it properly. The chief minister should have kept his government intact, but he is not able to do it. His party MLAs are not happy with him," BJP leader Om Mathur told ANI.
Ahead of the show of strength at Gehlot's residence, the Income Tax department today held raids at the properties of his confidantes' -- Rajiv Arora and Dharmendra Rathore. Arora is also the vice-president of the state Congress unit.
"I've tried to speak to him (Sachin Pilot) and have also sent messages to him but he hasn't replied yet. He isn't above the party. The party is ready to listen to him but no indiscipline will be tolerated. I'm hoping he'll turn up for the meeting," Rajasthan Congress in-charge A Pandey told news agency ANI. He added: "Congress president Sonia Gandhi has specially assigned me a work saying that if any Congrees MLA or any alliance MLA have any problem or want to discuss their problem, they can come and talk to me and we can work on it."
Speaking to reporters today, Congress MLA Mahender Chaudhary said: "BJP will not be successful in its attempts to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan. All our Congress MLAs and our alliance MLAs are with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot; all of them will be attending the Congress Legislative Party meeting today."
With the political crisis escalating, the Congress party rushed Ajay Maken and Randeep Surjewala to Jaipur along with General Secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Pande. Pande had submitted a report to Congress President Sonia Gandhi on the situation in the state, which is still unraveling. The Gehlot camp, however, dismissed the claims made by Pilot’s office as “fake” and “rumours”. “His office can run anything. We will consider it official when he himself comes forward and makes the claim. Tomorrow he can distance himself from the claims made by his office,” said a Congress leader close to Gehlot.
Deputy CM Sachin Pilot has remained incommunicado for the past two days, and some legislators backing him also stayed put in the National Capital Region. He was inactive on social media too, and did not respond to calls or text messages by Congress leaders. His silence, however, fueled speculation in New Delhi over his next course of action. When asked if he was joining the BJP, Pilot told The Indian Express, “I am not joining the BJP.”
In what appears to be a showdown by Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot almost 18 months after Congress returned to power in the state, his office on Sunday claimed that the Ashok Gehlot-led government was reduced to a minority after over 30 Congress and some independent legislators pledged support to Pilot. The Congress, however, claimed to have the numbers in the state and is also set a hold a party meeting in this regard. Follow our live blog for all the latest updates here.