JAIPUR: Around 75 MLAs including ministers were present in the meeting at Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot's residence here on Sunday.
"Around 75 MLAs/ministers were present in the meeting today at Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot's residence. Currently, Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and Ajay Maken are meeting with Gehlot to chalk out a strategy for tomorrow's Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting," Sources said.
"It is likely that after the CLP meeting, a whip will be issued by the party and absentees will have to face the consequences but nothing has been finalized yet. The final decision will be taken after this meeting of Ajay Maken, Randeep Surjewala, Avinash Pande, and Gehlot," they added.
The meeting was called after the crisis in Rajasthan Congress intensified with Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot at loggerheads. While Gehlot is blaming BJP for trying to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs, Pilot is camping in Delhi to speak to the party leadership regarding the political turmoil in the state.
Congress has 107 MLAs and the Gehlot government is supported by 10 Independent MLAs and two each from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bharatiya Tribal Party while BJP has 72 seats in the 200-member Assembly.
As many as 30 Congress MLAs and some independent legislators who are in touch with Sachin Pilot have pledged their support to him and have vouched to stand by whatever decision he takes, sources said.