Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will hold separate meetings with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his bete noire and former deputy Sachin Pilot on Monday in Delhi. Gehlot's office released a programme confirming his visit to Delhi where he will also lay the foundation stone of the Rajasthan House. This meeting comes close to Pilot's "ultimatum" that if his three demands made from the state government were not met by the end of this month, he would launch a state-wide agitation.
According to news agency PTI, an official privy to the details confirmed the meetings. One of Pilot’s demands is a high-level inquiry into alleged scams that took place during the former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's tenure. Pilot also demanded the disbanding and reorganising of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), which came into the limelight in the paper leak case and demanded financial compensation to the affected candidates.
According to PTI, Kharge will meet Gehlot and Pilot separately to try and bring them on one platform ahead of the assembly elections, which are due later this year. Kharge is likely using the same model he used in Karnataka by bringing Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar together as the party now wants to try the same formula in Rajasthan.
While speaking to the media before the arrival of the two leaders, Kharge said that they are coming and they will discuss and decide what is in the interest of the party. "When they arrive we will know what is the best way forward, all the things in the interest of the party will be discussed".
A meeting with Congress’ top brass was set for May 26 with all the state leaders but it was later postponed. Another meeting with the Congress high command with the leaders of all poll-bound states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, was planned, which was postponed.
In addition to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, CM Ashok Gehlot, and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, Rahul Gandhi, Congress state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Congress President Govind Dotasara were to attend the meeting.
Last week, Congress MLA and Punjab's state chief Harish Chaudhary said that Sachin Pilot has not given any ultimatum to the party but wanted to speak to the party and prefers to build a bridge between the people and the state government.
"Sachin Pilot has not given any ultimatum to the party but he has tried to speak to the government. Any leader who is talking to the government or anybody else, needs to be heard and resolved on the basis of merit. I am hopeful that the government will come up with a solution," Chaudhary said.