Congress leader and former Union minister Ajay Maken (File| EPS)
JAIPUR: In a bid to placate the Sachin Pilot camp and take a feedback before the expected reshuffle of the Gehlot Cabinet in the first week of August, the AICC General Secretary and the Rajasthan Congress in charge, Ajay Maken has started holding meetings with Congress MLAs on Wednesday.
His two-day trip to Jaipur comes at a time when speculations about Rajasthan Cabinet expansion are growing stronger. He held discussions with MLAs individually to listen to their views to avoid resentment. Other political appointments are likely to take place only after the Cabinet rejig.
Leaders and MLAs who met with Maken revealed that they were asked about the conduct of ministers, their performance and complaints, and to name their preferences for district and block presidents. Transport minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said that, “They are taking a feedback on government schemes and on how to strengthen the Congress in the state. Ajay Maken has also asked us to give a feedback on how the Congress government can be repeated in the state in 2023.”
Ved Prakash Solanki, an MLA from the Pilot camp, also seemed quite satisfied after the meeting. “It’s very heartening that the High Command is listening to the views of every MLA. We hope that like in Punjab, corrective actions in Rajasthan will be initiated quickly,” he said.
Maken is likely to meet Independent MLAs supporting Gehlot and former BSP MLAs who joined the Congress two years ago. A major issue in the reshuffle is to accommodate some of these MLAs as they played a key role in saving the Congress government when Pilot had revolted.
Meanwhile, CM Ashok Gehlot also held a review meeting on Wednesday to evaluate the performance of his ministry and to look into the criticism of the Pilot faction that promises of the 2018 election were not fulfilled.
