Ashok Gehlot claims majority in Rajasthan, Congress appeals to Sachin Pilot to return

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday staved off a challenge to his leadership by his deputy Sachin Pilot by a show of strength in Jaipur amid calls from Congress legislators for disciplinary action against those indulging in anti-party activities.

On an action-packed Monday, Gehlot claimed support of 109 MLAs – 104 of which were present at the Congress Legislature Party meeting, that was delayed in the hope of getting some Pilot supporters to return to the party fold.

Meanwhile, Congress has summoned yet another meeting of its Legislature Party at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday in Jaipur, where greater clarity on the political situation in Rajasthan could emerge. Late Monday night, Congress also made a fresh appeal to Pilot and his supporters to attend the meeting.

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“The government has a comfortable majority,” a Congress leader said even as the Pilot camp made light of the claims with a counter that the chief minister’s garden was no place to prove a majority.

The Pilot camp also made it clear that the 42-year-old leader was not headed to the BJP and dropped hints of exploring other options.

Soon after the MLAs signed on a resolution expressing faith in Gehlot’s leadership, they were shifted to a Hotel Fairmont, a luxury resort on the outskirts of Jaipur, which incidentally was the target of Income Tax raids on Monday morning.

The show of strength appeared to give a breather to the 18-month old Gehlot government and also took the wind out of Pilot’s claims of having support of 30 MLAs.

Earlier, Gehlot allowed media persons to enter his official residence once the number of MLAs crossed the magic number of 101 and flashed victory signs to cameras, even as Pilot remained ensconced in the national capital along with his supporters that included three ministers.

“Personal ambitions are not larger than the interest of the state and the Congress government has been elected to serve the state for its full term,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said just before the start of the meeting.

Though Congress held the door open for Pilot’s return, the young leader appeared in no mood to oblige. Though he remained incommunicado throughout the day, sources close to Pilot doubted the claims made by the Gehlot camp and asked him to prove majority in the assembly.

The mood of the MLAs at the CLP meeting, however, was not forgiving and demanded strong disciplinary action against those indulging in anti-party activities.

The BJP adopted a wait and watch approach with Rajasthan unit chief Satish Poonia saying that he would await directions from the central leadership of the party.

“The foundation of this government is based on contradictions,” Poonia said, adding that all options were open for the BJP.