JAIPUR: The 10-day deadline for three senior Congress leaders in Rajasthan to respond to the AICC notice ended on Thursday and brought back the focus on what action the Congress high command would take on the case related to the rebellion by pro-Ashok Gehlot MLAs two weeks ago. Amid the uncertainty over the future of CM Gehlot, all eyes are focused on Bharat Jodo Yatra, where Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are likely to take a final decision.
The Congress high command had issued notices to Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal and RTDC Chairman Dharmendra Rathod for their role in the boycott by pro-Gehlot MLAs of the Congress Legislature Party meeting on September 25 in Jaipur.
There have been doubts about their replies to the show cause notices, but Dhariwal said, “A reply has been sent, but what has been answered cannot be made public.” Joshi said he got to know about the notice only through the media and claimed that he hasn’t received any such notice through either mail or by post so far. Rathod, too, echoed similar views.
It may be recalled that before the CLP meeting for picking up a new CM in Jaipur on September 25, pro-Gehlot MLAs were called by Joshi at the residence of Dhariwal. At Dhariwal’s residence, the pro-Gehlot MLAs had decided that they would boycott the CLP meeting for which two AICC observers Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge had arrived in Jaipur. Later, the pro-Gehlot MLAS had given their resignations to Assembly Speaker CP Joshi to register their protest against changing the Rajasthan CM.
While political circles of Rajasthan debate about what action will be taken on the notices to three prominent leaders, the turmoil over the post of CM persists. A visit of former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot to the house of cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariawas, considered close to Gehlot, is a hot topic of discussion.
Meanwhile, Sachin Pilot, has returned to Delhi. His hopes are now pinned on the Rahul and Sonia meeting in Karnataka which may lead to some decision on the Rajasthan Congress crisis.