Congress sacks Sachin Pilot, Dotasra is PCC chief

Congress on Tuesday sacked the rebellious Sachin Pilot from the post of Deputy Chief Minister and PCC Chief, and also took disciplinary action against two other ministers, Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena. It appointed Govind Singh Dotasra as the new PCC president.

“With a very heavy heart we have decided to remove Sachin Pilot from the post of the Deputy Chief Minister and the Pradesh Congress Chief. We have also decided to remove Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena. This is because they have joined the BJP’s conspiracy to destabilise the Congress government in Rajasthan,” said Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met the Governor Kalraj Mishra and apprised him of the political developments. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Gehlot said Pilot was “being used by the BJP to destabilise the Congress government in Rajasthan”.

Repeat of M.P.

“The Congress government led by Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh had collapsed in March after a rebellion by Jyotiraditya Scindia. The same team of BJP leaders had moved to Rajasthan to repeat the MP experiment. But the BJP will not succeed in Rajasthan,” Gehlot said.

He said the rebels were given enough opportunities to mend their ways.

“Sachin Pilot is playing the BJP’s game. It is the BJP which is plotting from the background and making all the arrangements. I am very sad that horse trading was going on. It is for the first time in the country that democracy is under such grave threat,” he said.

BJP waiting in the wings

Senior BJP leader Om Mathur reached Jaipur late this afternoon. State BJP president Satish Punia said, “People are angry and disappointed with this Government and no power in the world can save it. Our priority is that this Government loses power. We are vigilant, monitoring the situation and will decide our strategy as the situation unfolds,” said Punia.

The BJP has demanded that Gehlot prove majority in the Assembly. Pilot’s camp asserted that Gehlot has lost simple majority in the House.

In the 200-member Assembly, Congress has 107 MLAs. It has the support of two members of the CPI(M), two of the Bharatiya Tribal Party and one of the Rashtriya Lok Dal and 11 independent MLAs so far which placed it at a comfortable tally of 123 before Pilot’s rebellion. The BJP has 72 members and its ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party has three MLAs. Two independents are also with the NDA.

But after the rebellion, Pilot’s camp claims the support of 30 MLAs, including some of the independents. The members of CPI(M) and BTP have said that they will “wait and watch” till the Congress settles its internal squabbles. If Pilot’s claim of 30 MLAs’ support holds, Gehlot’s Government cannot survive a trust vote. But Congress has asserted that 107 MLAs are with Gehlot and only 16 of the 123 MLAs have switched sides. The party is confident of mustering support on the floor of the Assembly.

Pilot has been stationed in Delhi and a video released by his supporters showed about 16 MLAs with him. After he was removed from his posts, he tweeted, “The truth can be troubled, but cannot be defeated.” He is expected to hold a press conference on Wednesday.

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