New Delhi: Rebel Congress MLA Sachin Pilot met senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra around noon Monday as the party looks to end the stalemate in Rajasthan ahead of this week’s assembly session.
“The meeting was quite positive. The Gandhis told him all the concerns will be addressed,” said a source. “Pilot also pointed out that no action should be taken against the 18 MLAs who are on his side. Another meeting with Pilot is likely in the coming few days,” the leader added.
After meeting Pilot, Priyanka and Rahul conferred among themselves and then headed to the residence of their mother and working Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for further deliberations, sources told ThePrint. “Senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal also met Pilot and the issue will be resolved in the coming few days,” said a second leader, adding that Pilot reiterated he had no intention of joining the BJP.
The meeting Monday come after weeks of tensions in the Congress following Pilot’s rebellion against the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan last month. His rebellion along with 18 MLAs of the state cost Pilot the posts of deputy chief minister and Rajasthan Congress chief, even as he and the rebels vowed loyalty to the party.
Pilot had also met Priyanka, who serves as Congress general secretary, two weeks ago, sources said. This was preceded by a phone call on 12 July.
Sources told ThePrint that even Rahul Gandhi spoke to Pilot twice over the past two weeks, but senior Congress leaders denied it when approached for a confirmation.
The meeting with Priyanka and Rahul Monday comes days ahead of the Rajasthan assembly session on 14 August, where the numbers of the Congress government in the state are expected to become clear. Sources in the Congress said they “expect the issue will be resolved soon”.
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Describing the recent discussions between Pilot and the Congress brass, a third leader said “Pilot’s approach is not very aggressive now, but it will be too early to say how things will unfold”.
“Pilot wants to be assured by the central leadership of his future in the party and, for him, the base has to be Rajasthan,” said a fourth leader. “He wants his future to be assured. Priyanka Gandhi heard him (at the meeting two weeks ago) but did not give any commitment and told him she will get back.”
ThePrint reached Pilot for comment through texts and calls, but they remained unanswered until the time of publishing this report.
‘BJP in a bind’
The Rajasthan government is heading into the 14 August assembly session in crisis mode. While the CM has emphasised that he has a majority in the 200-member House, he hasn’t mentioned a trust vote in his public statements.
According to a fifth Congress leader, a few MLAs from the Pilot camp “independently” approached the central leadership of the Congress. “Some of the MLAs are now getting impatient. It has been more than a month. Many have claimed that they are also not staying together at one place as was the case earlier. Considering the assembly session is on 14 August, we can expect the issue to be resolved soon,” said the leader.
When asked what the Congress’ strategy will be for the upcoming assembly session, a senior Congress leader from Rajasthan said a lot will rest on the meeting between the Pilot camp and the Congress.
“The chief minister has ensured that all MLAs remain united and at the same time he has been taking care of other government-related issues too. The rebel MLAs now have no option but to come back,” said the leader. “The BJP that had been trying to topple is also caught in a bind as its own MLAs are now in touch with the Congress.”
This is an updated version of the report
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