New Delhi/Jaipur Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his rival and former deputy Sachin Pilot have agreed to a joint struggle in opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) in Rajasthan elections later this 12 months, the Congress introduced late on Monday, after a four-hour assembly between the 2 leaders and the get together management to iron out variations which have roiled the state unit.
However the contours of the settlement between the 2 leaders who’ve been at loggerheads for 4 years weren’t instantly clear, and a senior Congress chief who requested to not be named mentioned that the negotiations have been “nonetheless a piece in progress”.
Gehlot arrived on the residence of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at round 6pm on Monday, and the 2 have been joined by Rahul Gandhi, and different senior leaders similar to KC Venugopal and state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, mentioned individuals conscious of developments. At round 8.30pm, Pilot entered the residence, the individuals cited above added, with the assembly lasting for shut to a different two hours.
Venugopal lastly emerged at round 10.15pm with Gehlot and Pilot, and mentioned that the leaders had determined to struggle the Rajasthan elections, scheduled for the tip of 12 months, unitedly.
“On this dialogue, we have now determined to struggle the election unitedly. Each are in settlement that the Congress get together has to go collectively and positively we’ll win the election in Rajasthan,” he instructed reporters earlier than strolling again into the residence.
Rajasthan has not elected an incumbent again to energy in practically three many years.
“It is extremely clear that Rajasthan goes to be a robust state for the Congress get together. We’re going to win. Due to this fact, each the leaders Gehlot ji and Sachin ji have determined to go collectively. The Congress get together will struggle elections unitedly,” Venugopal added.
A second Congress chief mentioned that whereas each leaders wished the get together to return to energy, the impasse was not damaged solely. “However they’ve mentioned they may struggle collectively and agreed to go together with the choice of the Congress president,” the chief added, asking to not be named.
A 3rd chief added that whereas no last settlement was reached, the so-called Karnataka mannequin – the place two contenders for the chief minister’s chair, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, projected a united face for the marketing campaign and selected the management challenge after a thumping victory – was on the desk.
The battle between Gehlot and Pilot dates again to December 2018 when each lobbied for the CM’s submit after the Congress returned to energy in Rajasthan. In 2020, Pilot led a failed revolt in opposition to the Gehlot authorities, after which he was eliminated as state unit chief and deputy CM. Then, final 12 months, lawmakers near Gehlot – who on the time was thought of the front-runner for the Congress president’s place — defied the get together management to choose the subsequent CM amid hypothesis that it may very well be Pilot.
The repeated sniping between the 2 leaders got here to a head once more earlier this month, when Pilot launched a five-day march throughout Rajasthan on Could 11, protesting in opposition to obvious inaction in opposition to corruption by the Congress authorities.
Earlier on Monday, earlier than the assembly had commenced, Gehlot had mentioned that there was no custom within the Congress the place a pacesetter “calls for one thing” and the get together excessive command “presents it”. “We have now by no means heard of such a formulation,” Gehlot added.
He mentioned that the Congress organisation was “sturdy” and there was no state of affairs through which the get together must “provide a submit to pacify somebody.”
“This has not occurred up to now and it’ll not occur sooner or later. The Congress excessive command is robust and no chief or employee calls for a place. It doesn’t occur like that,” Gehlot mentioned.
DID ANY PILOT SIDE RESPOND?
On Monday, Kharge and Rahul Gandhi additionally met Madhya Pradesh Congress unit chief Kamal Nath. After the assembly, Rahul Gandhi mentioned, “We had a really detailed assembly proper now. Our inner evaluation says that we received 136 seats in Karnataka and we are actually going to get 150 seats in Madhya Pradesh. What we did in Karnataka, we’ll repeat in MP”. Madhya Pradesh, dominated by the BJP, goes to the polls later this 12 months.
BJP lawmaker and get together spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma attacked the Congress. “The Congress is afraid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recognition. The BJP stands united and can kind the federal government in Rajasthan,” Sharma mentioned.