By Archana Sharma
Jaipur, May 28 (IANS) The much-awaited Congress meeting in New Delhi which was scheduled to discuss Rajasthan issues was cancelled at the last minute.
The political circles are abuzz with the talks about the reasons for the cancellation of the meeting, and what could be the next step of the Congress high command.
Meanwhile, sources in the Congress party confirmed that state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and co-incharges — Qazi Muhammad Nizamuddin, Amrita Dhawan and Virendra Rathore have been asked to be in Delhi on Monday and Tuesday.
“Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has asked all four, including Rajasthan in-charge and co-incharges to be in New Delhi where crucial issues of desert state politics will be discussed,” said party leaders.
When asked why the meeting was cancelled, they said, “Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot clearly indicated that he is not ready to discuss any such issue in Delhi by terming former deputy CM Sachin Pilot’s demands as ‘intellectual bankruptcy’ a day before the meeting was scheduled.
“It clearly indicates that he is not ready to discuss Pilot and his demands in Delhi and hence he gave this statement. Gehlot never speaks without any message and there was a strong message hidden in his statement which was decoded and the meeting was cancelled,” said party leaders.
Meanwhile, the Gehlot camp leaders are terming it as a victory for the Rajasthan CM as the meeting was cancelled in New Delhi.
Now all eyes are set on Monday and Tuesday when Kharge will meet Randhawa and other Rajasthan co-in-charges.
Sources said that party leaders are also awaiting May 30 when Pilot’s ultimatum ends as he has raised three demands before the Rajasthan government, namely disbanding of RPSC and its reconstitution, compensation for those affected by paper leaks and a high-level probe into charges of corruption allegations against the former chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia. He also gave a 15-day ultimatum for the same.
Now this ultimatum ends on May end and party leaders are eagerly waiting what will be his next move.
While the CM is avoiding any comment on his ultimatum and focussing on his inflation relief camps, the party leaders are yet again in quandary as to whether this factionism will end before the Assembly polls and see the two leaders campaigning jointly to make a comeback.
“Earlier, we were expecting that the party would find some solutions to end the infighting in the state Congress in the meeting. However, now again, we are waiting for the next meeting,” said sources.
Meanwhile, in between there is speculation that Pilot will be made the state party chief while PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra will be made the next deputy Chief Minister and party elections will be contested under Gehlot.
However, the speculation has left the Gehlot camp leaders upset for they are afraid that their tickets might be cancelled if polls are held under Pilot for they openly stood with Gehlot during September 25 crisis by boycotting the CLP meeting called by the high command and attending the meeting called by state minister Shanti Dhwariwal and Mahesh Joshi from Gehlot camp.
However, Pilot camp is silent over the speculation and hence all eyes are set on May end to see what the young leader decides as his ultimatum ends.
Overall, it’s confusion and crisis which is dominating Congress camps led by Gehlot and Pilot and any ray of light is yet to be seen, party workers said, adding that all hard work and our ambitious schemes implemented on grounds will go waste if this factionism continues as people are now aware of this tug of war between two leaders which is not any open secret now, said party leaders.
–IANS
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