With the deadlock in Rajasthan politics continuing, Congress president Sonia Gandhi is now likely to intervene in the year-long political feud between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and rebel leader Sachin Pilot. This even as Congress General Secretary Incharge of Rajasthan affairs Ajay Maken sought to dispel rumours that no leader from the party high command was talking to Pilot to placate him. Maken asserted that Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been speaking to Pilot.
Sonia’s intervention, sources said, has been necessitated as Gehlot is playing the hard ball and has made himself unavailable on health grounds for the next two months to delay the entire process of inducting Pilot’s loyalists in his council of ministers. More so, since Gehlot’s stance came despite the party high command assuring Pilot of meeting his demands and asking the Chief Minister to go for his Cabinet expansion at the earliest.
Maken said Pilot is a senior leader of the Congress and that it is impossible he will not get any appointment from any leaders of the party as the former Union Minister is a big asset for the grand old party and always star campaigner. “Priyanka has not been in Delhi for the last 10 days but she has been constantly talking to Pilot. AICC General Secretary Organisation K C Venugopal and I have also been engaged with Pilot,” Maken said at the backdrop of reports about Pilot failing to meet Priyanka during his visit to national Capital last weekend.
Asked about the demand of the Pilot camp for an expansion of the State cabinet and political appointments, Maken said discussions are on with the Chief Minister, State Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara, Vidhan Sabha Speaker CP Joshi, Pilot and the cabinet ministers. He said the interests of all groups and sections of the society will be kept in mind while executing changes in the cabinet and carrying out political appointments.
As attacks and counter-attacks between the Gehlot and Pilot camps have placed the differences within the Rajasthan Congress out in the open, the AICC General Secretary advised the MLAs against making public comments.
Maken's statement gains significance in the backdrop of Pilot and his loyalists making their restlessness evident with regard to promises made to them by the party high command.
Among the expectations of the Pilot camp is adequate representation in the Gehlot cabinet and appointments in boards and corporations, besides being prominently placed in the organisation.