New Delhi: After dealing with the Punjab Congress infighting issue, the party is focusing on resolving problems in its Rajasthan unit. The Congress leadership has sent General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and Rajasthan in-charge General Secretary Ajay Maken to Jaipur to meet all the factions and resolve the crisis in the party there.
After the party meeting, Ajay Maken said, “We’re discussing the Cabinet expansion, appointment of district and block-level chiefs of Congress and appointments in boards and corporations with our leaders. Everyone has said they would accept what leadership decides.”
“We’ll announce our decision (regarding the state Cabinet expansion) soon. I will visit Rajasthan again on July 28 and July 29 to meet Congress MLAs separately to take their opinions on the appointment of district and block-level Congress teams,” he added.
Before going to Rajasthan, KC Venugopal said: “I am an MP from the state and I am going for some official work.” However, sources said Venugopal and Maken met Rahul Gandhi and had discussions on Rajasthan affairs before leaving for Jaipur.
The Congress leadership has stepped up efforts to address issues related to the state as after one year of Sachin Pilot’s revolt, things are pretty much where they were. Frustrated with this, Sachin Pilot said at a recent press briefing.
“Those workers who sacrificed each and everything for the party, worked round the clock and were lathicharged should, at least, get due respect if not any plum post. This is what our present president says, and we also say the same. In fact, everyone says the same,” he said.
“In the coming Assembly polls, we shall garner more votes. We have voiced our opinion to the high command. The AICC listened to our suggestions, formed a committee, and this committee called meetings too. All decisions shall be taken soon.
“We stand with the central leadership and are sure that the All India Congress Committee will take the necessary steps soon. We have had a detailed discussion with veteran leaders where we said that our opinion should be taken, no matter what the scenario is,” he added.
The Congress is now trying to fix issues in each state one by one and calling its leaders in the states to Delhi for discussions. In Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is delaying the cabinet expansion and appointments in boards and corporations which has not gone down well with the Congress leadership.
While Ajay Maken gave a deadline for political appointments and cabinet expansion, the Gehlot government made sure that the deadline was not met, citing the Budget session of the State Assembly and Covid-19 protocols.
Maken has been trying to break the ice between the two camps — Gehlot and Sachin Pilot — but his formula has been rejected by the Chief Minister. As a result, directions from the Congress party leadership could not be implemented. This time, though, the Congress wants to settle the issue as quickly as possible.
(With inputs from IANS)