Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met with party leaders in Delhi today to resolve the long-standing issue of include Sachin Pilot’s supporters in the state cabinet. According to sources, the Congress high command wants the reshuffle to happen right now so that Mr Pilot’s supporters can be accommodated.
According to sources, today’s meeting focused on cabinet reshuffles and appointments in state businesses, which Mr Gehlot has been putting off for over a year.
Accommodating Mr Pilot’s followers in the government was considered as part of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s peace formula last year, when the Pilot camp was at odds.
The Ashok Gehlot government was on the verge of collapse as a result of the month-long uprising.
Mr Pilot, who is credited with leading the party’s comeback in Rajasthan, was a candidate for Chief Minister. After the party’s victory in the 2018 assembly elections, he was urged by Rahul Gandhi to take the role of Ashok Gehlot’s deputy.
Since then, the two have been at odds.
Last year, Mr Pilot and 18 loyalists rebelled, camping out in Delhi with his supporters who demanded a larger position for him in the administration.
With his meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the acrimonious standoff was settled after more than a month.
In September of this year, Mr Pilot, who is still vying for the top job in Rajasthan, met with the younger Gandhis, who are opposed to a change of leadership in the state. The Gandhis apparently want him to lead Gujarat ahead of the state’s elections next year. There’s no way of knowing whether Mr Pilot is up to the task.
However, during the 45-minute discussion, it was determined that the Rajasthan cabinet would be expanded to include several of Mr Pilot’s allies.
