New Delhi: Congress leaders Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday briefed party chief Sonia Gandhi about the developments in Rajasthan in wake of the political crisis in the state over the move to find a successor to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is likely to fight the party’s presidential election.

Sonia Gandhi asked Maken and Kharge, who were appointed observers for the legislature party meeting, to give a written report which will be submitted to her tonight or tomorrow. “Mallikarjun Kharge and I briefed Congress chief everything about our meetings in Rajasthan in detail. Now she has asked us for a written report that will be given to her by tonight or tomorrow,” Maken told reporters.
The political crisis has been triggered by Ashok Gehlot apparently agreeing to file his nomination in the Congress presidential polls and wanting a successor of his choice in Rajasthan.

Maken said the venue of the legislative party meeting was decided after consultations and they had to give a report after talking to every MLA.

He said holding a “parallel meeting” when a CLP meeting has been called was “indiscipline” and noted that a decision on leadership in the state was to be taken in Delhi and not Jaipur.

Maken, who is AICC incharge of Rajasthan, said the three ministers who met them at Gehlot’s residence put forward three conditions.
He said they demanded that a decision on a CLP resolution should be after the declaration of Congress presidential poll results on October 19. Rejecting the condition, Maken said a resolution is not passed with conditions and also noted that any such move will be “a conflict of interest” for Gehlot.

He said the ministers also demanded that MLAs should meet the observers in groups and this was not acceptable. “We wanted to meet every MLA individually so that the decision is free and fair,” Maken said.

He said the three ministers also said that a successor to Gehlot should be chosen from among 102 MLAs, who had stood by him during the crisis in 2020. The Gehlot government had faced political crisis in 2020 over demands led by Sachin Pilot and MLAs loyal to him.
Maken on Sunday met three members from the Gehlot camp – Shanti Dhariwal, C.P. Joshi and Pratap Khachriyawas who had put forward their proposals.