The Congress high command is reportedly upset with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over the revolt of his loyalist MLAs on Sunday night, though the veteran leader maintained that he had no involvement in the developments. Reports said Gehlot had apologised to central observer Mallikarjun Kharge who was in Jaipur on Sunday for the Congress Legislature Party meet.
Both Kharge and AICC in-charge for Rajasthan Ajay Maken briefed party interim president Sonia Gandhi on the developments, after which she sought a detailed written report on it.
"Kharge ji and I have apprised the Congress president of the CLP meeting in Rajasthan. The Congress president has sought a written report on the entire chronology, which we will submit by late night or tomorrow," Maken said.
The CLP meeting, which was to be held at Gehlot's residence in Jaipur on Sunday evening, could not be conducted after more than 90 MLAs loyal to the chief minister threatened to resign over the possible move to appoint Sachin Pilot as his successor. Gehlot, who is set to contest the Congress president election scheduled on October 17, will have to quit the CM post if he wins.
Talking to reporters in Delhi, Maken said the MLAs loyal to Gehlot cannot pose conditions to the party leadership as they amount to a "conflict of interest".
"Some representatives of MLAs, ministers came and put forth three demands. Their condition is that the CLP leader be elected after October 19 and any decision should be taken after that... This cannot happen as those who are moving the resolution after October 19 would themselves take the decision and this would amount to a conflict of interest," he said.
Gehlot, according to an NDTV report, denied any role in Sunday's rebellion and apologised to Kharge for the developments. “It should not have happened,” he reportedly said.
However, Kharge is of the opinion that such a rebellion could not have happened without Gehlot's consent, says the report.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath, who was also seen as a potential candidate for the party president election, reached Delhi and met Sonia Gandhi.
Nath, who is known to have close ties with Gehlot, may be asked by the leadership to broker a truce to end the crisis in Rajasthan, PTI reported.
Gehlot's loyalists, meanwhile, maintain that the new CM should be someone who was instrumental in saving the government during the political crisis in 2020 and not someone who was involved in toppling it, referring to Pilot's open revolt against the party.
Gehlot and Pilot were at loggerheads for the chief minister's post soon after the Congress won the Assembly elections in December 2018. The high command then chose Gehlot as the chief minister for the third time while Pilot was made his deputy. In July 2020, Pilot along with 18 party MLAs rebelled against Gehlot's leadership.