NEW DELHI: Congress President Sonia Gandhi has called Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to Delhi for a meeting Wednesday evening to resolve the crisis created on Sunday by 82 MLAs supporting him to persuade him to contest for the Congress presidentship as earlier decided and leave up to her to decide who succeeds him as the chief minister.
His arch rival Sachin Pilot, who is already in the national capital, has been tipped off to stand by for a possible meeting by Sonia for the rapprochement between him and Gehlot, the party sources said. They said everyone is waiting for a major announcement by Sonia Gandhi likely after her meeting with Gehlot and Pilot as the party leaders are told not to make any speculation harming the party’s already damaged image.
Indications are that Pilot will be advised to give up his ambition to become the chief minister since the majority of the party MLAs are opposed to him and he should better accept to be the Rajasthan PCC president and work for the success of the party in the Assembly elections the next year end as he did in the post to ensure the Congress oust the BJP in the last elections.
Sonia is already in touch with the senior party leaders, consulting them on how to resolve the Rajasthan crisis and most of them have suggested that it should not come in the way of Gehlot becoming the Congress president to act under the guidance of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
Gehlot is being persuaded to file his nomination on Thursday while former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh also entered the race as he would break away from the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Thursday when it enters Karnataka and file his nomination for the Congress presidentship on September 30, the last date for the nominations. Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor has also announced to file his nomination only on September 30. AICC treasurer Pawan Bansal has also secured the nomination papers, but he may not enter the race if the Rajasthan turmoil is resolved.
