Is Rajasthan heading towards political crisis?

Ajay Chaturvedi

In Rajasthan, all is not well in ruling Congress party. Senior patry leader Kapil Sibal was the first to go public on the crisis saying he was worried for the party. Seeking a quick resolution of the "crisis", he asked when would the party leadership "wake up"."Worried for our party. Will we wake up only after the horses have bolted from our stables," he tweeted. Political observers said a crisis is brewing within the Rajasthan Congress with deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and his supporting MLAs not sharing good ties with Chief Minister Gehlot.The flash point between the two top leaders in Rajasthan was a probe ordered by the state police into "poaching" of MLAs and a notice sent to Pilot, which has not gone well with him.

Sources said that the party in Rajasthan is a divided house and now pilot supporters reportedly want Gehlot should step down and pave the wav for Sachin Pilot as CM. On the other hand CM, Ashok Gehlot is accusing BJP to destabilize his majority govt by offering his legislators large sums of money and said his administration is not just stable but will complete its five-year term.The SOG on Friday registered an FIR against two people, who have been detained, for their alleged involvement in horse trading of Congress MLAs for toppling the Gehlot government. The Rajasthan police has reportedly issued notices to Gehlot and his deputy Pilot to record their statement in connection with the alleged attempts to topple their Congress government.

Sources said that relations between the two leaders are not cordial for the last few months. They further said that the loyalists of Sachin Pilot, Dy CM and State Congress Prsident alleged that Ashok Gehlot camp wants to oust Pilot from the party post. In his reaction Pilot said that he will quit the post as soon as the party high command ask me to do so. Sources said that Pilot is camping in Delhi to meet the high command and discuss the leadership issue in the State.12 MLAs are also with him. These MLAs are said to be his supporters. Gehlot has also called the meeting of party MLAs meeting in Jaipur. It will be interesting to see how many MLAs attend the meeting called by Gehlot. 
The BJP State President Satish Punia, had asked Gehlot to prove his allegation of horse-trading levelled against it or quit politics, and claimed he was targeting the opposition party as he was unable the check the infighting in the state Congress.

Now the question is why Congress high command is taking too much time resolving the long pending issues of state units? Such indecisive attitude of the high command is also increasing internal groupism and frustration. Leaders like Kapil Sibal has rightly pointed his concern. Will the party leadership wake up? or days of Gehlot govt's are numbered?

                                                                     +++++++++++