Rajasthan News Highlights: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrives at Sonia's residence amid political crisis

Congress in-charge for Rajasthan Ajay Maken on Monday slammed the MLAs loyal to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for setting conditions for a party resolution, terming it a "conflict of interest", and said their decision to hold a parallel meeting amounted to indiscipline. The MLAs loyal to Gehlot had on Sunday night submitted their resignation letters over a possible move to appoint Sachin Pilot as the chief minister and also kept away from the legislature party meeting called by central party observers -- Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge. Track the latest updates on the brewing Rajasthan crisis and the ongoing power tussle, only with DH!

Make anyone CM but not traitors: Gehlot loyalist Mahesh Joshi

Rajasthan MLAs will not tolerate traitors being rewarded: State cabinet minister

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrives at Sonia's residence amid crisis in Rajasthan

Congress hopeful Kamal Nath can solve Rajasthan crisis

Loyalists of Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh on Monday said the Congress veteran can broker peace between factions led by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot.

Maken addresses Congress MLAs' demands but makes no promises

Sonia to get written report on Rajasthan crisis tonight, says Maken

All eyes on Sonia after Cong leaders converge to discuss Rajasthan crisis

All eyes are on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as top leaders converged at her 10, Janpath residence here on Monday after a series of developments in the last 24 hours in Rajasthan, where a majority of the party MLAs have rebelled against Sachin Pilot and want Ashok Gehlot to continue as the chief minister.

Party observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken, who were sent to Rajasthan, returned to Delhi on Monday after a planned meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) failed to take place. They met Gandhi at her residence soon after their return from Jaipur.

High-command decision on Rajasthan CM should have consensus: Cong MLAs

Congress's chief whip in the Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi on Monday said the party MLAs have no objection to whoever is made the chief minister, but the final decision of the high-command should be agreeable to them.

Maken, Kharge arrive at Sonia's residence in Delhi

K C Venugopal arrives at Sonia's residence in Delhi amid Rajasthan crisis

Going to report to Sonia about Rajasthan Crisis: Kharge in Delhi

AICC observer Ajay Maken arrives in Delhi

Kamal Nath likely to meet Sonia to discuss Rajasthan truce

The Congress high command has summoned senior leader Kamal Nath to Delhi and he is likely to meet party chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday, sources said.

The visit of Kamal Nath, the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee chief, to Delhi comes amid a political drama in Rajasthan over leadership change following Ashok Gehlot's announcement that he would contest the AICC president polls.

Kamal Nath is known to have close ties with the Rajasthan chief minister and could be asked to broker a truce, sources said.

Kharge underlines need for 'discipline' in party after meet with Gehlot

Congress high command asks MP Congress chief Kamal Nath to immediately arrive in Delhi.

He is further likely to mediate in Rajasthan Congress crisis

"He is the CM. Nothing can happen without his nod.' Rajasthan leader KL Bairwa tells News channel NDTV on being asked whether the entire fiasco that unfolded was the orchestration of Ashok Gehlot.

Congress in-charge for Rajasthan Ajay Maken on Monday slammed the MLAs loyal to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for setting conditions for a party resolution, terming it a "conflict of interest"

Maken said their decision to hold a parallel meeting amounted to indiscipline.

The MLAs loyal to Gehlot had on Sunday night submitted their resignation letters over a possible move to appoint Sachin Pilot as the chief minister and also kept away from the legislature party meeting called by central party observers -- Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge.

"In the 75 years of Congress history, there has never been a conditional resolution. Resolution is one-line only. Everything is told to the Congress president and then a decision is taken," Maken told reporters here before leaving for New Delhi.

"Resolution should not have any conflict of interest. Those who are contesting elections and tomorrow become party president, they get to decide on the resolution and this is a conflict of interest. So, it is wrong," he said without naming Gehlot.

We have informed the Congress president about what happened yesterday. Everybody has to abide by whatever decision is taken eventually. There should be discipline in the party: Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge after meeting CM Ashok Gehlot in Jaipur

Congress committee urges Sonia Gandhi to pull Ashok Gehlot out of party president race

Gehlot meets Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge

CM Ashok Gehlot arrives at Marriott hotel

Ashok Gehlot to meet Congress observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken

Maken said the representatives of the MLAs—Shanti Kumar Dhariwal, Pratap Singh Kachariyawas and Mahesh Joshi—met him and Mallikarjun Kharge to raise three demands, which they found uacceptable as there were “strings” attached.

Cong voiced strong displeasure over Gehlot supporters' conduct, calls it 'indiscpline'

Party General Secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken made the High Command’s displeasure loud and clear over the developments in Jaipur by indicating that around 90 MLAs’ conduct “prima facie” was indiscipline, even as he insisted that no decision on Gehlot’s successor will be taken without proper consultation.

Congress on Monday voiced strong displeasure over the conduct of MLAs supporting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot who refused to attend the party’s Legislature Party meeting in Jaipur by holding a “parallel” meeting

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Congress observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken, who had waited in vain for all legislators to arrive for the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Sunday, were trying to persuade Gehlot loyalists to meet them one by one in an effort to defuse

Miffed MLAs' condition was that the CM should be from among those who are loyal to CM Ashok Gehlot, not Sachin Pilot or his group. We said that their exact sentiments will be conveyed to Congress chief: Ajay Maken

If CM Ashok Gehlot becomes Congress chief after Oct 19,he can empower himself over his own resolution. They wanted to come in groups when we asked for one-on-one talks, so we made it clear that this isn't how it works. They didn't accept: Maken

Mallikarjun Kharge & I came here as AICC observers to hold a meeting in accordance with CM's convenience at the latter's residence. We were continuously telling the MLAs who didn't come to come & talk one-to-one: AICC observer Ajay Maken

Cong MLAs Pratap Khachariyawas, S Dhariwal & CP Joshi met us, kept 3 demands. One was to announce the implementation of resolution of handing over the responsibility (to appoint CM) to Congress President after Oct 19; we said it'll be a conflict of interest: AICC observer A Maken

Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken to return to Delhi and submit a report on Rajasthan Developments to Congress president Sonia Gandhi today. Cong Gen Sec (Org) KC Venugopal reaching Delhi from Kerala. Sachin Pilot may also come to Delhi

Hoardings featuring Sachin Pilot with "Satyamev Jayate, Naye Yug ki Taiyari" put up across in Jodhpur

AICC observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken will come to Delhi today and submit the report to the top leadership.

Miffed MLAs are not ready to meet the observers. Next Step will be decided after the discussion with the high Command

This 'naatak' shouldn't happen, enough with this drama: Deputy LoP of State Assembly, Rajendra Rathore

Sometimes they stay in hotels for days, the other times the leaders who run the govt go into another party, nothing can be more unfortunate: Deputy LoP of State Assembly, Rajendra Rathore

The government in Rajasthan arose with an internal dispute, which is still ongoing: Dy LoP of State Assembly, Rajendra Rathore

For the 1st time, MLAs have defied their high command... CM should call an emergency cabinet meeting to dissolve the Assembly. BJP has nothing to do with this: Rajendra Rathore

Sonia instructed senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken to speak to MLAs individually to know their minds. Maken said they would not be leaving Jaipur for Delhi immediately and would finish the exercise at the earliest as instructed by Sonia.

The latest developments in Jaipur and the show of strength by Gehlot supporters, with the tacit blessings of the Chief Minister, are seen as an erosion of the authority of the leadership.

The show of strength also put Pilot in a spot as it made it clear that he has very few supporters in the 108-strong CLP, seriously damaging his bid for Chief Ministership.

Rajasthan crisis: What we know so far

1. On a day that witnessed unprecedented drama in Jaipur, the party leadership could not hold the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on schedule at 7:30 pm where a one-line resolution to authorise Congress president Sonia Gandhi to choose Gehlot’s successor had to be adopted.

2. The MLAs, numbering 92 by one count, drove to Speaker CP Joshi’s residence to submit their resignations in protest against the move to install former Deputy Chief Minister Pilot, whom they said would not accept as he had rebelled against Gehlot in 2020 putting the government in danger, as the Chief Minister. However, they later returned from his residence.

3. Late at night, Sonia instructed senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken to speak to MLAs individually to know their minds. Maken said they would not be leaving Jaipur for Delhi immediately and would finish the exercise at the earliest as instructed by Sonia.

4. Gehlot supporters want a new Chief Minister only after the organisational election is over and the choice should be acceptable to Gehlot. Any decision on Gehlot's successor will be taken only after the presidential election, sources indicated.

'There is not so much uncertainty in today's India-Australia cricket match as there is about the leaders in the Congress party of Rajasthan': BJP takes potshots at Rajasthan crisis

The saffron party also called the ruling Congress the “government of camps”, with BJP state chief tweeting “God save Rajasthan”.

BJP state president Satish Poonia said the trends of 2023 assembly elections have started showing in the state.

"There is not so much uncertainty in today's India-Australia cricket match as there is about the leaders in the Congress party of Rajasthan. The meetings of MLAs are going on separately, the political hypocrisy of resignations is going on separately. What rule will they enforce? Where will they take Rajasthan, God save Rajasthan,” he said.

The MLAs want either Gehlot or his pick to be Chief Minister instead of Sachin Pilot

Gehlot reportedly received a call from Rajya Sabha MP K C Venugopal who asked him to "handle the situation" but the Chief Minister told the Congress' central leadership that it was "not in his hands".

Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Pilot, meanwhile, is believed to be the central leaders' choice for the chief ministerial position.

The Rajasthan crisis seems almost a repeat of what happened in 2020: In July 2020, Pilot along with 18 party MLAs rebelled against Gehlot's leadership.

Gehlot and Pilot were at loggerheads over 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.

According to Gehlot loyalists, the next CM should be someone who was instrumental in saving the government during the 2020 crisis and not anyone involved in the bid to topple it, a veiled reference to Pilot.

"We are going to the Speaker's residence and will submit our resignation," state minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas told reporters.

Another leader, Govind Ram Meghwal, said Gehlot can shoulder both roles, that of the chief minister as well as the party's national president.

He said if Gehlot does not remain CM, the party will face problems in winning the next Assembly elections.

The aborted CLP meeting was seen as a crucial step ahead of Gehlot filing his nomination for the Congress president’s post, amid speculation that the former deputy chief minister Pilot will take his place in the state.

Gehlot, seen by many as a reluctant candidate for the top party position, initially appeared unwilling to give up his CM’s post. Later, it was speculated that he would rather see C P Joshi --- or anyone else --- as CM rather than Pilot, who had rebelled against his leadership.

Earlier in the day, Gehlot told reporters in Jaisalmer that the MLAs would pass a one-line resolution at the CLP meeting calling upon party president Sonia Gandhi to pick his successor.

What do the loyalists want?

They wanted the decision on the next CM to be left till after the Congress organisational election and stressed that Gehlot should have a say in picking the new CM who should be someone who stood by the veteran leader during the rebellion by Pilot supporters in 2020.

Gehlot loyalists claimed that over 90 MLAs went to Joshi’s home

Congress has 108 MLAs in the House of 200.

There was no word from the Speaker’s office on the resignation letters.

Late at night, there were efforts by Kharge and Maken to persuade Gehlot loyalists to meet them one on one, if not as part of the planned MLAs’ meeting.

Gehlot loyalists plunge Rajasthan Congress in crisis

The Congress in Rajasthan plunged into a crisis Sunday as several MLAs loyal to Ashok Gehlot submitted resignation letters over a possible move to appoint Sachin Pilot as the next CM, their rebellion erupting just ahead of a Congress Legislature Party meeting.

The loyalists headed to Speaker C P Joshi’s home after a long meeting in the evening at minister Shanti Dhariwal's residence, saying they were resigning as MLAs.

All this while, at the chief minister’s home, Gehlot and Congress observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken waited for all legislators to arrive for the CLP meeting.

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