Rajasthan crisis: Sachin Pilot meets Rahul Gandhi month after rebellion, Congress claims breakthrough

Sachin Pilot meets Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra amid reports of breakthrough.

Rebel Congress leader and sacked Rajasthan deputy CM Sachin Pilot on Monday met senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, party sources told news agency PTI. The meeting assumes significance as it comes just four days ahead of the Assembly session convened on the proposal by CM Ashok Gehlot. The Legislative Assembly will meet on August 14, according to an order issued by Governor Kalraj Mishra.

READ MORE: Congress rebels meet party leadership, asked to tender ‘unconditional apology’

The development follows reports of some rebel Congress MLAs reaching out to the Congress leadership. The MLAs told news agency ANI earlier today that they were asked to furnish an unconditional apology to the party. The Congress had earlier claimed a big breakthrough following these developments.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has said that he will seek a trust vote on the floor of the House to end the political drama in the state that has been going on for the past one month.

The ruling Congress in Rajasthan is divided into two camps — Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot. The rift between the two was out in open after the SOG of Rajasthan Police served a notice to Pilot in connection with an alleged attempt to topple the Congress government.

Pilot was later sacked as the deputy CM and als removed from the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president’s post. Besides Pilot, 18 Congress MLAs have also fallen out of the Ashok Gehlot government. The 19 rebels are currently camping at a Gurugram resort.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had earlier accused Pilot of hatching a conspiracy with the opposition BJP’s support to pull down the Congress government. MLAs who are loyal to Gehlot are staying at a hotel in Jaisalmer.

According to the CM Gehlot’s claim, he enjoys the support of 102 MLAs — one more than the halfway mark in the 200-member House. The opposition BJP has 72 MLAs.