Both leaders assets to Congress, says Rahul Gandhi on Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot

I can guarantee that these things will not have an impact on the yatra, Rahul said

Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday described two warring leaders Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot as "assets of the party," as General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal is heading to Jaipur to review the preparations for the Bharat Jodo Yatra where the bitter battle for leadership supremacy is playing out.

While there are indications that Gehlot may continue as Chief Minister though Pilot is battling hard to unseat him, the party is emphasising that Venugopal's Jaipur journey on Tuesday has nothing to do with the leadership question and that Rahul is making it clear that such developments is not going to have any impact on the yatra.

At a press conference here on the sidelines of the yatra, Rahul was asked about how he viewed the political developments in Rajasthan with Gehlot calling Pilot a "traitor" and whether it would have an impact on the yatra.

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"I do not want to get into who said what. Both the leaders are assets of the party. I can guarantee you that these things will not have an impact on the yatra," he said. On Sunday, Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh had said that the party will either take a "strong decision" or opt for a compromise depending on what is beneficial for the organisation.

Venugopal would review the preparations in Rajasthan and both Gehlot and Pilot would be attending the meeting. Sources said Venugopal is likely to send a clear signal to both the leaders that they should not precipitate a crisis.

A senior leader involved in the decision-making process indicated that Gehlot may continue while emphasising that one should not read too much into Pilot's meeting with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Madhya Pradesh.

"This is all about creating perception. Pilot appeared to have timed it with Priyanka joining the yatra. There should not be any perception that he was invited for this leg of yatra. Nobody prevents a leader from joining the yatra but this way of doing politics is not good. I don't think it was taken well by the top leadership," the leader said.

The leader also pointed out how Pilot surfaced in Kerala's Angamaly hours before Gehlot joined the yatra, amid speculation that he will succeed the veteran leader who was in the race to become Congress president.

With Gehlot continuing to have huge support among the party MLAs and other leaders, the party does not want to precipitate any crisis though it gave an impression on Sunday that it was not averse to take “strong” decisions, which was interpreted as the party heading for a leadership change soon after the yatra left Rajasthan on December 24.