Rajasthan ministry meets after party sacks Sachin Pilot, his loyalists

Jaipur, July 14: Amid talks of a reshuffle in ministerial berths, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other ministers reached the CM's residence Tuesday evening for a Cabinet meeting, hours after the ruling Congress sacked Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and two others from the cabinet.

Gehlot and the other ministers arrived there from the hotel where they were holed up amid the power tussle between Gehlot and Pilot.

The Congress Legislature Party decided in the afternoon to sack Pilot and two of his loyalists, Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena, from the cabinet.

Pilot was also removed as the president of the state Congress unit after he and MLAs close to him skipped two CLP meetings, where party legislators expressed confidence in Gehlot's leadership.

The Cabinet meeting will be followed by another of the Council of Ministers. After the sacking of the three ministers, the 12 senior ministers, including the CM, remain in the Cabinet. The council of ministers has 10 ministers of state.