Rajasthan crisis: Congress MLAs to meet again at 10 am tomorrow, Sachin Pilot extended invite

New Delhi, July 13: Congress MLAs will hold another Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting tomorrow at 10 am to discuss the political situation in Rajasthan.

"We request Sachin Pilot and all the MLAs to come, we will also give them in writing. We have requested them to come and discuss the situation," said Randeep Surjewala.

MLAs will hold another Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting tomorrow at 10 am to discuss the political situation in Rajasthan.

"We request Sachin Pilot and all the MLAs to come, we will also give them in writing. We have requested them to come and discuss the situation," said Surjewala.

Meanwhile, Congress MLAs were holed up Monday in a resort near Jaipur after a legislature party meeting, where they expressed support for Ashok Gehlot and only indirectly referred to Sachin Pilot, whose rebellion threatens his government.

Pilot has been upset since he was denied the Rajasthan chief minister's post after the December 2018 assembly elections.

There was no official word on the number of MLAs who attended the meeting at Gehlot's home, but party leaders claimed 106 legislators were there.

If correct, this staves off the immediate challenge posed by Pilot, who claimed on Sunday night that he has the support of over 30 of 107 Congress MLAs in the 200-member assembly. But at least seven MLAs considered close to Pilot were not spotted at the CM's house.

In the 200-member assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. In the past, the ruling party has claimed the support of 13 independents, two MLAs each from the CPM and the Bharatiya Tribal Party, and one from the Rashtriya Lok Dal.

The Congress had rushed Pande, Surjewala and Ajay Maken to Jaipur as observers at the meeting, amid a power tussle between its two Rajasthan leaders. The party had issued a whip ahead of the CLP meeting, indicating disciplinary action against any MLA who failed to turn up. Pilot, however, had made clear in a statement that he would not attend the meeting.

He also claimed that he had the support of over 30 Congress MLAs and some independents. The current crisis began Friday night when the Rajasthan Police sent a notice to Pilot, asking him to record his statement over an alleged attempt to bring down the government.

The same notice was sent to the Chief Minister and some other MLAs, but Pilot's supporters claimed that it was only meant to humiliate him.