Rajasthan political crisis: Gehlot loyalists resign | 10 points

Jaipur, Sep 25: In a show of strength, the loyalists of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot reportedly submitted their resignation on Sunday as they were not consulted over Gehlot's successor.

In the late-night development, the angry MLAs met Speaker CP Joshi to hand over their resignations.

Here are the 10 latest development:

• Upset with the unexpected development, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has asked the central observers to sort out the issue before the issue goes out of hand. She advised to have one-on-one meetings with the dissenters.

• In an attempt to bring the situation under control, Congress leader KC Venugopal called Ashok Gehlot who reportedly said, "Nothing is in my hands. The MLAs are angry," according to NDTV.

• "All the MLAs are angry and are resigning. We are going to the speaker for that. MLAs are upset how can CM Ashok Gehlot take a decision without consulting them", state legislator Pratap Singh Khachariyawas Khachariyawas.

• MLAs considered close to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met under the leadership of Cabinet Minister Shanti Dhariwal in what is seen as a message to the high command to pick a Gehlot loyalist as his successor.

• "If the decision is not taken keeping the MLAs' sentiments in mind, the government will be in danger," independent legislator and advisor to the chief minister Sanyam Lodha said after the meeting. Another leader Govind Ram Meghwal said Gehlot can shoulder both roles, that of the Chief Minister as well as the party's National President.

• Highlighting how Pilot rebelled against his own party in 2020, the Gehlot loyalists claim that CM should be made someone who supported the government then.

• The strength of the house comes down to 108 if 92 MLAs resign. Thus bringing down the government as the half-way mark is 55 and the opposition BJP has 70 MLAs.

• Gehlot is expected to quit as the chief minister of Rajasthan if he wins the election to the post of the Congress national president, as the party has a 'one-man one-post' policy. The meeting is also seen as an attempt to thwart the possibility of senior party leader Sachin Pilot being made the next chief minister.

• Gehlot and Pilot were at loggerheads for the chief minister's post soon after the Congress won the Assembly elections in December 2018. The high command then chose Gehlot as the chief minister for the third time while Pilot was made his deputy. In July 2020, Pilot along with 18 party MLAs rebelled against Gehlot's leadership.

• He said if Gehlot does not remain the chief minister, the party will face a major trouble in winning the next Assembly elections.