Rajasthan political crisis: Sachin Pilot vs Ashok Gehlot. What we know. 5 points

With the deepening political crisis in Rajasthan over the appointment of Ashok Gehlot's successor, Congress Working Committee members have demanded from Sonia Gandhi to pull the state chief minister out of the race for the party chief and select another candidate for the top post, sources said on Monday.

According to the sources close to Gehlot, "What the MLAs did was not right. The legislators should have come to the legislature party meeting in front of the observers sent by Sonia Gandhi. Gehlot also wanted that all the MLAs should come in front of the observers in the legislature party."

Rajasthan political crisis: What we know

The Gehlot loyalists want someone from their own camp to be chosen as the next Chief Minister, instead of Sachin Pilot, who according to them, had revolted against his own party back in 2020.

With miffed party MLAs unwilling to meet with the observers, sources said that the next step will be decided by observers of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) after a discussion with the party's high command.

The political crisis has been triggered by Ashok Gehlot apparently agreeing to file his nomination in the Congress presidential polls and wanting a successor of his choice in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan cabinet minister Shanti Dhariwal, a Gehlot loyalist who had held a meeting of MLAs on Sunday to oppose Sachin Pilot's possible elevation to the CM post, took a veiled swipe at Pilot and said that Rajasthan MLAs will not sit through and tolerate if traitors are being rewarded.

State minister Mahesh Joshi also said, "High Command can make anyone CM, make a new CM or keep CM Gehlot intact. It should not be one of those who revolted against the party and tried to weaken it."

With party observers slamming some actions of loyalists of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, sources said decision on issuing show cause notices to miffed MLAs, who have been vocal in public, will be taken after interim chief looks Sonia Gandhi into the report by the observers sent to the state.

*With inputs from agencies