Ahead of the Congress Legislature Party on Tuesday morning, the Congress crisis managers were working overtime to bring in the rebellious Rajasthan PCC President and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, although from the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot himself, there have been no welcoming signals for Pilot so far. Pilot, on his part, displayed no willingness to succumb to the Congress top leadership’s overtures.

The 104 MLAs, who have been secured at a resort near Jaipur, will officially discuss the events that are unfolding in the State. The Congress had even issued a whip for the MLAs to attend this meeting. Pilot and 16 of his supporter MLAs are stationed at a hotel near Delhi.

While Gehlot was nonchalant to Pilot’s rebellion, the central leaders, who were dispatched to Jaipur, held out yet another invitation to the rebels.

AICC's media in-charge Randeep Surjewala, who is camping in Jaipur representing the Congress high command as an observer, said: “We request Sachin Pilot and all other MLAs to come... Doors are open for Sachin Pilot and other MLAs. They will be heard and solutions found. This is the discipline of the party.”

Party general secretary and MP from Rajasthan KC Venugopal is also in Jaipur to monitor the situation. AICC general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Avinash Pande also requested Pilot to “strengthen the hands of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former President Rahul Gandhi”. He asked them to attend the meeting of MLAs and uphold the ideology of the Congress.

However, State Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh, a prominent face in Pilot’s camp, released a video of 16 MLAs sitting together at the Delhi hotel. He titled the video as ‘Family’. Responding to queries about whether he is waiting for a better offer from the Congress to return, he said: “How can I help? For 15 generations we have won battles and resisted offers! The Mughals, the British and then democratic India!”

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