Now or never. Congress scrambles to put house in order in Rajasthan

To avoid a repeat of the Punjab situation, party insiders say next two months are crucial

New Delhi

Events in Rajasthan are hurtling towards a culmination with back–to–back meetings between senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot — a contender for Chief Minister’s position — with the Gandhis.

Sources claim that the party is working towards resolving the issues between Mr. Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the next two months are crucial.

Mr. Pilot met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on April 8 and party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday.

The idea behind the ongoing dialogue is to ensure that the Congress does not see a repeat of Punjab, where the internal strife had cost the party the electoral battle. Mr. Gehlot is not ready to step down and Mr. Pilot, who leads the camp opposing him, does not want to settle for any thing less than the Chief Minister’s post.

“The two have to arrive at a common meeting point, whether willingly or unwillingly. All we are asking is for the two to have a working relationship that can help them achieve the common goal of the Congress victory in 2023 elections,” a senior party leader said.