Congress listens to Sachin Pilot, replaces Rajasthan in-charge

JAIPUR: Fulfilling one of the key demands of Sachin Pilot, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has replaced Avinash Pande with Ajay Maken as the general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Congress on Sunday. Pande was in the line of fire of Pilot camp and the latter had demanded his dismissal from the state for taking sides with chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
Also, the party has formed a three-member panel to look into issues and demands raised by Pilot. The announcement of a three-member panel was the immediate take away for Pilot on August 10 after his meeting Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra concluded in a truce in state Congress.
The three members of the committee are senior leader Ahmed Patel, AICC general secretary in-charge (organisation) K C Venugopal, and the new state party in-charge Ajay Maken. Reacting to the developments, Pilot welcomed both the moves taken by the high command.
"I thank Congress leadership for establishing coordination in Rajasthan, today shri @Ahmedpatel, shri @kcvenugopalmp, shri @ajaymaken has been appointed three-member panel. I am fully confident that under the guidance of this committee, Congress will get a new and fresh direction," Piot tweeted. Speaking to TOI, he said, “I am thankful to Congress president Sonia Gandhi ji and Rahul Gandhi ji for constituting the committee that will look into the issues that we raised.”
Welcoming the decision, chief minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted, "I welcome the decision of CP Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji to appoint Shri Ajay Maken as AICC General Secretary in-charge of Rajasthan. I congratulate Shri Maken and hope that his vast organisational experience will help strengthen the party and energise the party workers in the state. Eagerly looking forward to working with him."
Maken, a two-time MP, had been deputed along with Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala by the party high command to resolve issues after trouble broke out a month ago within the state party. Maken had stayed with the Gehlot camp MLAs at a hotel in Jaipur and in Jaisalmer and was part of all recent developments within the state unit.
He has been chosen for his neutral approach taken during the political crisis and his close network in Delhi. After getting the double responsibility, he tweeted, "Extremely grateful to the Hon’ble Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri @RahulGandhi for reposing faith in me. Will leave no stone unturned to further strengthen the Congress Party in Rajasthan. Also thank my colleague @avinashpandeinc ji for his services & contribution."
Pande was appointed party in-charge in May 2017. His role in the state became significant after Congress came to power. “He was to coordinate between the party and the Congress government. But, he failed to strike a peace deal between Gehlot and Pilot who were at loggerheads even before the assembly elections were announced. Gehlot’s statement that he was not in talking terms with Pilot for the past 15 months also raised a finger at Pande whose primary job is to be a troubleshooter and maintain coordination between the organisation and the government,” said a party source.