Rajasthan: Gehlot attempts to defuse crisis, calls meeting of MLAs, aides
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, despite the revolt by his loyalists over talks of him being replaced by Sachin Pilot in the state, is still in the race for the Congress presidential polls.
In an apparent bid to defuse the crisis, Gehlot has called a meeting of ministers, and a few MLAs in Jaipur. Sources said he would urge them not to make any further statements against Pilot, change of guard and instead assert that decision of the party high command would be accepted by all.
His loyalists Shanti Dhariwal, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, both senior ministers, and Mahesh Joshi, the party’s chief whip, who have all been vocal against the possibility of a change of guard in Jaipur, are likely to be told to apologise to the high command.
Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge have reportedly asked Sonia to take disciplinary action against the senior leaders in Rajasthan.
Bansal denies speculations
While there was speculation that the Gandhis are likely to field AICC treasurer and former Union minister Pawan Bansal, it has been denied by him.
Bansal was only asked to collect a set of nomination papers and that a final decision on the party leadership’s choice of candidate will be taken on Wednesday (September 28), sources said.
The news of Bansal’s apparent candidature started doing the rounds after the party’s central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said that he collected nomination forms, while adding that it may be for someone else.
However, on Tuesday evening, Bansal clarified that he had collected the nomination papers to hand them over to the local (Chandigarh) Congress president and not for himself.
“These rumours are without any basis… I am flooded with these (questions). It is amusing to me, I am bemused as to why this has risen. It is simple. I don’t have any specific person in mind, and it is certainly not for myself. The idea (to contest) never crossed my mind,” Bansal told ANI.
#WATCH | Congress leader, Pawan Kumar Bansal refutes rumours of him joining the Congress party presidential race, says, “These rumours are without any basis… the idea never crossed my mind.” pic.twitter.com/8CNqlQN72O
— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2022
Also read: Congress president poll: Shashi Tharoor first to officially enter fray
Mistry also said a representative of Congress’ Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, the other candidate for the CP polls, has informed his office that he will file nomination for the post of president at 11 am on September 30.
Speaking with reporters at his office at the AICC headquarters, Mistry said he met party chief Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence on Tuesday and handed over her voter ID card. He also briefed Gandhi about the process so far as to how many people have collected the nomination forms and about the delegates. Mistry said Bansal got the nomination forms collected from his office on Monday and it may be “as a supporter” of someone.
When pressed further as to whether Bansal may have collected the forms for himself or someone else, Mistry said he cannot say for whom he has collected as it is not the procedure to ask for whom forms are being collected as any delegate can collect the forms.
Offer still open for Gehlot
Sources told The Federal that the Gandhis had earlier asked Kamal Nath to contest in place of Gehlot, but he declined the offer as he wants to focus on Madhya Pradesh where elections are due by the end of next year besides Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
According to sources, Nath has also conveyed to Gehlot the Gandhis’ intention to look beyond the revolt by his loyalists and back him for the Congress chief’s post, provided Pilot is made the chief minister of Rajasthan. Gehlot, however, declined the offer, reiterating his demand that he can allow anybody, but Pilot to take his place as chief minister.
Irrespective of who wins the CP poll, Tharoor or Bansal or some other dark horse, Gehlot may eventually lose the chief minister’s post now as he seems to be headed for the same fate that fell on Pilot two years back. Pilot’s rebellion had cost him his posts of deputy chief minister and Rajasthan Congress chief.  Gehlot’s revolt may now cost him his chief minister’s chair and the chance to be party chief.
Pilot’s fate hangs in balance
What remains to be seen though is whether the Gandhis will finally succeed in foisting Pilot as chief minister or be forced to accept some compromise candidate.
Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken had been asked to reach out to MLAs individually and convince them to accept Pilot. While some Gehlot camp MLAs have relented, a majority is still averse to the idea of Pilot being the chief minister. What the Congress high command is banking on is that with just a year left for the polls in Rajasthan, none of the MLAs who have threatened to resign would actually want an early poll and may be using the resignation threat purely as a pressure tactic.
The Gandhis feel that eventually most MLAs will accept their decision on a new chief minister to avoid an early election.
Also watch: Congress President election: Party readies electoral rolls, issues ID cards with QR code
Meanwhile, Pilot has been summoned to Delhi and is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi later on Tuesday or sometime on Wednesday.
According to a notification issued by the party, the process for filing nominations for the election will be held from September 24 to 30. The date for scrutiny of the nomination papers is October 1, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8.
The final list of candidates will be published at 5 pm on October 8. The polling, if needed, will be held on October 17. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day.
