Sachin Pilot to meet Sonia Gandhi on September 29

Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot will meet party chief Sonia Gadhi later Thursday, sources said.

His bête noire and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who arrived here Wednesday night, met Gandhi around 1 pm.

The meetings come days after an open rebellion by Gehlot loyalists over a possible leadership change in the state, clouding Gehlot's chances of running for the presidency.

The party's disciplinary committee has asked three Gehlot loyalists -- Rajasthan ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi, and Dharmendra Rathore -- to explain within 10 days why action should not be initiated against them. This was after observers for Rajasthan, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken, charged them with "gross indiscipline" in a report to party chief Sonia Gandhi.

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Eighty-two MLAs participated in a parallel meeting at Dhariwal's residence in Jaipur, laying down conditions for the party. They did not attend the official legislature party meeting convened for passing a resolution authorising the Congress chief to appoint a successor to Gehlot, who was to contest the Congress presidential election.

With the Rajasthan episode posing a significant challenge before the party, the Congress president has been holding discussions with senior party leaders from across the country to resolve the crisis.