In a full-blown crisis for the ruling Congress in Rajasthan, 92 MLAs of the party and its allies threatened to resign on Sunday if “anyone responsible for the 2020 failed coup” to dislodge Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was given the reins of the State government. The MLAs were making an indirect reference to former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, who was being expected to replace Mr. Gehlot. He had made a failed attempt to topple Mr. Gehlot’s government two years ago, consequently losing the post of the deputy. Mr. Gehlot is slated to file his nomination for the post of the Congress president.
The central leadership had called a Congress Legislature Party meeting at Mr. Gehlot’s residence to pick his successor. The meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. could not take place as the 92 MLAs were at State Cabinet Minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal’s residence and from there, boarded a bus to Speaker C.P. Joshi’s residence. Mr. Dhariwal, a three-term MLA, is a close confidant of Mr. Gehlot.
Minister Pratap Singh Kachariya was informed that they were headed to the Speaker’s residence to resign, adding that they would not allow the reins to be handed to those who tried to bring down the Rajasthan government.
Mr. Pilot’s supporters, meanwhile, dismissed the entire episode as “pressure tactics”, saying that the legislators would not resign and hand over the government on a platter to the BJP.
While Mr. Dhariwal and Mr. Joshi’s names have been doing the rounds as Mr. Gehlot’s successor, the Gandhi family had given their word to Mr. Pilot that he would be made Chief Minister when Mr. Gehlot moved out of the State.
The untimely rebellion comes as a direct challenge to the family at a time when its members have ruled themselves out of the race for Congress president, which is now to be battled out between Mr. Gehlot and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, a member of the G-23 group of leaders seeking long-awaited internal reform in the Congress party.
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