No leadership change in Rajasthan Congress, Pilot to stage sit-in on Tuesday

New Delhi: After backing Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot as his bete noire Sachin Pilot decided to go on a one-day fast, the Congress has made it clear that there will be no leadership change in Rajasthan. A statement released by the Congress on Sunday praised the work of the incumbent chief minister that virtually ruled out any change in the state leadership. This is for the first time that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has gone back on the decision of his predecessor Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who had called a legislature party meeting for a leadership change in the state.

In September 2022, then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had instructed the chief minister to call a legislature party meeting to elect a new state chief minister as Mr Gehlot was then tipped to become a candidate for the post of Congress president. The meeting could not take place because some legislators rebelled and wanted to resign from the Assembly. Disciplinary proceedings were started against three MLAs.

The disciplinary committee which was to take action against the three MLAs who were leading the coup has not done so till now, though six months have passed. Meanwhile, the AICC general secretary in charge of the state, Ajay Maken, also resigned, citing inaction. But till now the high command has not acted. Mr Gehlot had apologized and assumed responsibility after meeting Mrs Sonia Gandhi that the legislature party meeting could not take place.

Mr Pilot will be sitting on a day-long dharna on Tuesday in the state capital to put pressure on the state government to take action against “corrupt leaders of the BJP”. He said that the Congress in the run-up to the 2018 Assembly elections had said there was evidence against then BJP chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia. The dharna will be embarrassing for the chief minister. AICC state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa is also expected to reach Jaipur on Tuesday and speak to both leaders.

Mr Randhawa has said that it was “inappropriate” of Mr Pilot to go to the press without taking him into confidence. Party spokesman Pawan Khera said that action was being taken in Rajasthan against the corrupt. He further added: “It is wrong to say that a probe is not on, as an investigation is being carried out, and if anyone has a complaint, he should bring it to the notice of the AICC in-charge.”

The Pilot camp claims that the one-day fast is not against the Congress government but against the corruption of the then BJP CM Vasundhara Raje. The state goes to the polls in eight months. The public spat between the top leaders will only sully the image of the party.