Tempers begin to cool in Congress after Kamal Nath\'s mediation

NEW DELHI: Suspense continued on Wednesday over the future of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his bête noire Sachin Pilot. The day began with Pilot briefly leaving his house in Lutyens’ Delhi to meet some senior leaders. Insiders claim that he is in touch with the high command, who have told him to sit quiet.

After Tuesday’s action on supporters of Gehlot by the AICC, they have backed off. Gehlot is likely to reach New Delhi by Wednesday night or Thursday morning. He has already apologised to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the rebellion at Jaipur, when a majority of MLAs boycotted the legislature party meeting and attended another meeting, and then went to the Assembly Speaker’s residence to resign. They wanted an assurance that no one will be made CM to replace Gehlot “from among the MLAs who had rebelled in 2022.”

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, who was summoned to New Delhi by the party high command, is in touch with Gehlot. He reportedly got Gehlot to speak to the Congress president. The report submitted by central observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken, who had gone to Jaipur, has not blamed Gehlot.

Gehlot, with much reluctance, agreed to contest the party president’s election, but his refusal to quit as Rajasthan CM for his bête noire Pilot is at the core of the current crisis in the Congress. The party leadership has also started having second thoughts over his candidature since Sunday.

However, since Wednesday morning, some cooling of tempers has taken place from the high command’s side Gehlot, after meeting Mrs Gandhi, may as well file his nomination papers.

Meanwhile, senior leader Digvijaya Singh has also shown an inclination to file his nomination. He is also reaching New Delhi and in all likelihood will file his nomination papers on Friday. A two-term Madhya Pradesh CM, Digvijaya Singh has held several posts in the party and has been in-charge of various important states.

All nominations for the post of Congress president will now be filed on Friday as election authority chief Madhusudan Mistry will be available only on Friday. Party MP Shashi Tharoor will also be filing his nomination on Friday.