The crisis over the Ashok Gehlot government may have blown over a week ago, but political ripples can still be felt in Rajasthan. Political activities in the Congress and the BJP have increased in an indication of the fact that everything is not normal in both the parties. The BJP has issued show-cause notices to its four MLAs who were absent during the trust vote in the Assembly. In another significant development, the Ahmed Patel-led Congress committee has decided not to visit Rajasthan.
The Congress high command had formed this committee to find out the leaders who were colluding with the forces conspiring to topple the government led by chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Now this panel will summon all the 125 MLAs supporting government and other Congress leaders to Delhi.
However, the newly-appointed general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Congress, Ajay Maken, will visit Jaipur any day after Friday. He is scheduled to meet Ashok Gehlot and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasara. He will also meet some other key leaders.
It will be Maken’s first visit to Rajasthan after being given the charge of the Congress in the state. However, he has been there with the legislators for a month during the political crisis. Maken’s upcoming meeting with Gehlot and Dotasar will be quite crucial as it will set the course of investigation by the committee. It will be decided who is to be summoned at what time in Delhi.
The Ahmed Patel-led Congress panel will ascertain as to what led to the situation that Sachin Pilot along with other 19 MLAs went rebellious due to which the Gehlot government was on the verge of collapse. Anyway, Gehlot managed to sail through the crisis, and Sachin Pilot was placated. He returned to the party fold and with him all the aggrieved legislators.
However, the Congress high command did not take it lightly. It started reviewing where the fault-line was. The high command in no time removed incumbent general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Avinash Pandey and appointed Maken in his place. A panel was immediately set up under the leadership of Ahmed Patel, with K.C. Venugopal and Ajay Maken as its members.
Speaking to The Daily Guardian, Ajay Maken said that he would go to Jaipur after 21August because the Assembly’s monsoon session will end on Friday due to corona pandemic. He said he would meet the Chief Minister, PCC president and other leaders. “The committee formed to look into the incident would not visit Rajasthan,” he added. All 125 MLAs will be called to Delhi, he informed. The committee will look into all the inputs of the happenings from Rajya Sabha elections to the latest episode. All the aspects will be looked into, investigation will not be limited to just rebel MLAs only. There are ample indications that the high command is unhappy with those who turned rebels. The high command is still not happy with the statements being given by these leaders. The state Congress committee may be asked to give report on the same.
Meanwhile, the BJP gave show cause notices to its four MLAs who were absent during discussion and voting on confidence-motion in Assembly. The BJP is linking their absence to what Gehlot had hinted at. Gehlot had said that he could prove majority even if the rebels voted against his government. What was he hinting at? He was indicating that he had managed to dent the BJP camp also. BJP MLAs Gopichand Meena, Kailash Meena, Harendra Ninama and Gautam Meena were absent from Assembly on 14August when the confidence motion was underway. BJP legislature party leader Gulab Chand Kataria and party state president Satish Punia had sought reply from these MLAs. According to Punia, the four legislators have submitted their replies. The decision will be taken on them after consultation with top leadership. Sources say that it won’t be easy for the BJP to decide on any hard action against them. BJP heavyweight Vasundhara Raje was never in favour of any action aimed at toppling the government. It will be difficult for the party leadership to ignore her.