Rajasthan political crisis: Congress appeals to Pilot to join CLP meeting

Jaipur: Amid the political crisis in Rajasthan, Congress National General Secretary Avinash Pande on Tuesday appealed to Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and his supporters to join the second Congress Legislature Party meeting scheduled here. The second meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was announced several hours after the first one ended on Monday afternoon, skipped by Pilot and 18 other party MLAs.

The meeting is scheduled to be held at a resort where Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other MLAs are camping since Monday.

"I appeal to Sachin Pilot and all his fellow MLAs to join today's Legislature Party meeting. While expressing your faith in the ideology and values of the Congress, please make your presence felt and strengthen the hands of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi," Pande tweeted.


He told reporters that a second chance is being given to Pilot and hoped that all MLAs come and extend solidarity to the leadership for which people voted to ensure development of the state.

However, there is no confirmation from the Pilot camp so far on whether they would join the CLP meeting.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala had announced the second CLP meeting as the top leadership expressed the desire to woo back dissidents led by Pilot.

Former party president Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are among the senior leaders who have been in touch with Pilot, sources said.

Party leaders had said that 106 of these 122 MLAs attended Monday's meeting, a claim contested by the Pilot camp.

Pilot and his supporters claimed to have the backing of 30 Congress MLAs and some independents and even demanded a floor test in the Assembly to make the situation clear.

Pilot has been upset since he was denied the Rajasthan chief minister's post after the December 2018 assembly elections.