Jaipur/New Delhi: The political crisis in Rajasthan witnessed a new twist on Monday with an olive branch being extended to deputy chief minister and disgruntled Congress leader Sachin Pilot even as Ashok Gehlot seemed to display strength in numbers.Contrary to claims made by Pilot, who has been stressing that the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is in minority, the Rajasthan chief minister corralled more than 100 MLAs at his residence on Monday morning.The number is slightly higher than a simple majority in the state assembly. Congress has 107 MLAs in the 200-seater Rajasthan assembly. It also has additional support of 13 independents.As per latest reports in news channels, the Congress MLAs on Gehlot’s side are being taken to Fairmont Hotel in Jaipur in buses from Gehlot’s house. Chief minister Gehlot, too, is on a bus to the hotel.State Congress in-charge Avinash Pande, who had arrived Jaipur on Sunday night along with party spokesman Randeep Surjewala and senior leader Ajay Maken on the orders of the Congress high command to address the turmoil in the state, had told reporters in a late-night press conference on Sunday that 109 MLAs have signed a letter to express their support and full confidence to Gehlot.Also read: Despite Sachin Pilot Rebellion, Ashok Gehlot Says He Has Enough MLAs to Weather TurbulenceThis number may have gone down to 106, although there is no confirmation of this fact at the moment. The Pilot camp had claimed that Gehlot actually has fewer than 95 MLAs on his side.The party had also issued a whip to all its MLAs to attend the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting at Gehlot’s residence on Monday. “Strict disciplinary action will be sought against those MLAs who will not attend the meeting without providing any personal or special reason,” Pande had said.More than 100 Congress MLAs thus attended the meeting at Gehlot’s house. Members of the media were given entry into the meeting to capture first-hand, the strength of MLAs supporting Gehlot.Rajasthan Congress MLAs during a meeting at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlots residence in Jaipur, Monday, July 13, 2020. Photo: PTIThe meeting of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) issued a resolution which stated that the legislators express full faith in the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former chief Rahul Gandhi, and “fully support” the Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot.“The party strongly condemns all undemocratic malpractices that undermine the Congress government or the Congress party and demands that any Congress official or legislator, if directly or indirectly, involves in anti-party activities or conspires them, then strict disciplinary action should be taken against them,” the resolution reads.Ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls scheduled last month, the Congress government in Rajasthan had alleged that attempts were being made to lure MLAs and independents supporting it, without directly naming the BJP.Party still ‘open’ for PilotThe Congress has also assured that the party is still open for Pilot, who was naturally not at the meeting at Gehlot’s residence. The Rajasthan deputy chief minister is at Manesar.“The Congress leadership has spoken to Sachin Pilot a number of times about the political situation in Rajasthan over the last 48 hours,” said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.“If anyone has any problem, they must come forward and mention the issue on the party forum. We will work to resolve it together and keep our government intact in the state.”News reports have speculated that former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh in-charge Priyanka Gandhi have spoken to Pilot. A third party emissary, Rajiv Satav, is scheduled to arrive in Jaipur on behalf of the high command, say reports.I-T raids Gehlot aidesMeanwhile, the Income Tax Department on Monday morning conducted raids at properties of two close aides of chief minister Ashok Gehlot.These are identified as Dharmendra Rathore and Rajiv Arora. Rathore is a former chairman of the Rajasthan seeds corporation while Arora is vice president of the Congress and owner of Amrapali jewels.Sources say that the raids were based on complaints of tax evasion and were being conducted at Delhi and Mumbai as well. The Congress said that the raids are an attempt by the BJP to topple the ruling Congress government.“The Income Tax department, Enforcement Directorate and CBI are all ‘frontal departments’ of the BJP, their raids cannot topple Rajasthan government,” said Surjewala.
