Rajasthan Crisis: Show Cause Notice Issued To 3 Gehlot Loyalists After Congress Observers Submit Report

Rajasthan Political Crisis: The Congress in Rajasthan plunged into a crisis after around 90 MLAs threatened to resign over a possible move to appoint Sachin Pilot as successor of Ashok Gehlot.

Observers' Report Mentions 'Gross Indiscipline' On Part Of Rajasthan MLAs Who Organised Parallel Meet

Source : Getty/PTI

Amid a crisis in its Rajasthan unit, Congress observers on Tuesday submitted their report to party interim chief Sonia Gandhi and recommended disciplinary action against three party leaders, including two ministers, close to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, PTI reported. However, the observers, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken, did not seek any action against Ashok Gehlot.

Following the report, show cause notices have been issued against Cabinet Minister Shanti Dhariwal, Minister and Congress chief whip in the Assembly Mahesh Joshi, and RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore, PTI reported. The three Rajasthan leaders have been asked to reply within 10 days why action should not be taken against them for "grave indiscipline".

In the report, the senior Congress leaders flagged "gross indiscipline" on the part of some leaders who organised a parallel meet of MLAs instead of joining a Congress Legislature Party meeting.

No direct reference to CM Ashok Gehlot in Congress observers' report seeking disciplinary action against some of his loyalists: Sources

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 27, 2022

Even though the observers exonerated Gehlot in the report, they pointed out that the parallel meeting of MLAs was held with the Rajasthan CM's knowledge.

The Congress in Rajasthan plunged into a crisis on Sunday after around 90 MLAs threatened to resign over a possible move to appoint Sachin Pilot as successor of Gehlot, who is likely to contest the upcoming Congress president election.

To register their protest, the MLAs skipped the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting and huddled at the residence of Cabinet minister Shanti Dhariwal.

They even defied Sonia Gandhi's instructions, refusing to have one-on-one meetings with the observers, and came up with a list of demands. The legislators demanded that the CLP leader be elected after October 19 and status quo should be maintained till them.

The CLP meeting was called to pass a resolution authorising the Congress president to take a decision on Gehlot's successor.

The report came a day after the observers briefed Sonia Gandhi on the developments and she had asked them to submit a written report.