As Rahul Gandhi declined to file nomination for the Congress President post, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot decided to file his nomination papers relinquishing his chief ministership, Sachin Pilot, eyeing the possible vacancy of CM chair, started holding parleys with party MLAs and a long discussion with the Speaker Dr C P Joshi in latter’s chamber here.
CP Joshi is also one of the contenders in the race for the top job of the state.
Coming straight from Kochi after walking with RaGa, Pilot dashed at Vidhan Sabha stairs and walked into the House at 2:45 pm where he was greeted by his supporting MLAs. He then stepped into the “Yes lobby” and sat on couches talking to the Congress MLAs for a couple of minutes.
Later, an enthusiastic Pilot held about 2 hours of closed-door discussions with the assembly speaker Joshi. However, a number of other MLAs including four out of six of the turncoat MLAs of BSP (who joined the Gehlot government in 2019) waited in the assembly speaker’s guest room. Pratap Singh Khachariawas, Food and Civil Supply Minister, Dr Raghu Sharma, Congress MLA and in charge of Gujarat PCC, and former BSP MLAs (now in the Congress) walked out of the assembly speaker’s chamber.
While shaking hands with media persons, Pilot just smiled saying, “I have come to attend the assembly session.” And he walked fast into the House along with the saiid MLAs and Minister.
Former BSP MLA and now the Minister of State for Soldier Welfare Ranveer Singh Gudha who walked with Pilot this afternoon said yesterday that whosoever is announced as next CM by the High Command, six MLAs (turncoat) will support him.
Chairman of the SC Commission and Baseri MLA Khiladi Lal Bairwa and Giriraj Singh Malinga, Bari MLA, are also supporting Pilot’s candidature for CMship openly.
In his tweet last night, Ved Prakash Solanki, MLA from Chaksu, requested all fellow members to have patience and control… Truth will win. Our Neta Pilot would get fruits of his efforts, hard work and dedication. We all trust our party high command, I strongly believe. Thus no one of us shall involve himself in social media comments and post unnecessarily.”
Besides, the MLAs cutting across party lines and some ministers’ in their chambers were busy discussing the name for next CM of the state if Gehlot files nomination for the party president post. Even the cops of the intelligence department in plain dress were keeping a close watch on the movement of MLAs and Ministers, the sources said.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is away from Jaipur in Delhi since Wednesday, had met Mrs Sonia Gandhi in Delhi, and RaGa in Kochi yesterday. He is scheduled to return to Jaipur after he offered prayers at Shirdi in Maharashtra later tonight.