Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan Congress: Team Gehlot Takes On Congress High Command: 10 Points

The Sachin Pilot-led rebellion in 2020 had threatened to topple the Ashok Gehlot government

Jaipur: With Rajasthan MLAs loyal to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot making it clear that they will not accept Sachin Pilot in the top post, the Congress is faced with a major crisis. This has also signalled that Gandhis' hold on the party is weakening.

Here are the top 10 developments of this big story

Senior Congress leaders Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge had reached Jaipur to resolve the current impasse after over 90 MLAs loyal to Mr Gehlot threatened to resign if the Chief Minister's post goes to his bitter rival Sachin Pilot. They were to meet the MLAs one-on-one to find a way out of the impasse.
The MLAs, however, did not show up. Senior legislator Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said the MLAs are open to meeting the central leaders, but had to head home for Navratri. Congress sources confirmed that Mr Kharge and Mr Maken are returning to Delhi. The Gandhis, it is learnt, are upset with Mr Gehlot as MLAs loyal to him have made it clear that they cannot be taken for granted.
Mr Pilot is the high command's choice for the top post if Mr Gehlot wins the election for the Congress president post. While prominent leaders such as Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari are also contesting the polls, the Rajasthan Chief Minister is a frontrunner.
Mr Gehlot has been reluctant to vacate the Chief Minister's post for Mr Pilot, and had earlier said there was no hurdle to him holding on to the post even if he was elected Congress president. However, he changed his stand after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stressed that the party would stick to the "one man one post" rule as decided upon at the top party meet in Udaipur this year.
Amid yesterday's developments, Mr Gehlot said that the matter is not in his hands as the MLAs are angry and not ready to back Mr Pilot for the Chief Minister's post. Despite his claim, it seems unlikely that the legislators would go this far without his blessing. Mr Gehlot, it is learnt, had told the party leadership to consult the MLAs, but it wasn't done.
The dramatic developments in Jaipur started last evening. Rajasthan Congress MLAs were to hold a meeting and pass a resolution, stating that they will follow the high command's decision on the next Chief Minister.
In a deviation from the plan, MLAs loyal to Gehlot went to minister Shanti Dhariwal's residence and refused to attend the Congress legislature party meeting. Sources have said that many MLAs were misled by Mr Dhariwal and Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi, who told MLAs that the legislature party meet will take place at the minister's home.
At the minister's resolution, the MLAs passed a resolution, stating that the new Chief Minister should be from among loyalists of Mr Gehlot, who stood by him when a rebellion led by Mr Pilot in 2020 threatened to topple the government. They demanded that no legislature party meet to choose the next Chief Minister be held till the party president election is over.
The 92 MLAs then went to Assembly Speaker CP Joshi's residence to submit their resignation -- clearly a pressure tactic to make the high command agree to their demand. The MLAs stayed put at the Speaker's residence till late at night. Meanwhile, Mr Maken, Mr Kharge and Mr Pilot met the Chief Minister to find a way out.
In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the support of 13 Independents. Most of these Independents are former Congressmen who support Mr Gehlot. These legislators were also present at Mr Dhariwal's residence last evening.