<p>Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday told Congress president Sonia Gandhi that the Rajasthan government will fall if the leadership intends to replace him with his bete noire Sachin Pilot in the run-up to the party presidential election.</p>.<p>Sources said Gehlot said the MLAs were angry and upset with Pilot, “a vindictive and arrogant leader” who had attempted to overthrow the Congress government despite being the state chief. Gehlot made the remarks during his 100-minute meeting with Sonia before announcing that he was not contesting the organisational polls.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/gehlot-magic-doesn-t-work-with-sonia-bows-out-of-contest-digvijaya-in-race-more-may-join-1149302.html" target="_blank">Gehlot ‘magic’ doesn’t work with Sonia, bows out of contest</a></strong></p>.<p>Gehlot was Sonia’s choice for the party chief’s post and he had even announced he would file the nominations but incidents in Jaipur on Sunday ahead of the Congress Legislature Party meeting to authorise her to decide on the chief minister led the leadership to seethe in anger, as they construed it as “rebellion”.</p>.<p>At the meeting, sources said, Gehlot apologised to Sonia for the developments but insisted that he did not engineer it. Though Gehlot made it clear that Pilot does not have room in Rajasthan Congress or government, sources said the central leadership was of the view that his public apology and statement on Sonia deciding the chief minister were adequate.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/congress-says-decision-on-rajasthan-cm-in-a-day-or-two-1149398.html" target="_blank">Congress says decision on Rajasthan CM in a day or two</a></strong></p>.<p>As Congress general secretary K C Venugopal made it clear that Sonia might decide on the chief minister, sources said the leader who has the support of the majority of MLAs will be at the helm, indicating that Gehlot will continue. Sources said the central leadership will also try to compensate Pilot with some responsibility at the national level.</p>.<p>Gehlot told Sonia that he cannot leave Rajasthan and that if the leadership is given to Pilot, the government will fall. He also claimed that Pilot would leave the party and cited instances of rebellion in the past as well as the support he enjoyed — 102 against Pilot and 18 others.</p>.<p>If the observers — Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken — gave an “accurate” report on the developments in Jaipur, the party would have benefitted. But Maken had refused to meet Gehlot after MLAs did not turn up for the CLP meeting.</p>.<p>Sources said Gehlot felt that a formula – Pilot being the Chief Minister and current Speaker CP Joshi to become Finance Minister – was being considered. He said whenever there were political developments, people floated names and it happened this time too.</p>.<p>He also tried to impress upon Sonia that the BJP had tried to wean away MLAs offering Rs 10-50 crore, sources added.</p>
<p>Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday told Congress president Sonia Gandhi that the Rajasthan government will fall if the leadership intends to replace him with his bete noire Sachin Pilot in the run-up to the party presidential election.</p>.<p>Sources said Gehlot said the MLAs were angry and upset with Pilot, “a vindictive and arrogant leader” who had attempted to overthrow the Congress government despite being the state chief. Gehlot made the remarks during his 100-minute meeting with Sonia before announcing that he was not contesting the organisational polls.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/gehlot-magic-doesn-t-work-with-sonia-bows-out-of-contest-digvijaya-in-race-more-may-join-1149302.html" target="_blank">Gehlot ‘magic’ doesn’t work with Sonia, bows out of contest</a></strong></p>.<p>Gehlot was Sonia’s choice for the party chief’s post and he had even announced he would file the nominations but incidents in Jaipur on Sunday ahead of the Congress Legislature Party meeting to authorise her to decide on the chief minister led the leadership to seethe in anger, as they construed it as “rebellion”.</p>.<p>At the meeting, sources said, Gehlot apologised to Sonia for the developments but insisted that he did not engineer it. Though Gehlot made it clear that Pilot does not have room in Rajasthan Congress or government, sources said the central leadership was of the view that his public apology and statement on Sonia deciding the chief minister were adequate.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/congress-says-decision-on-rajasthan-cm-in-a-day-or-two-1149398.html" target="_blank">Congress says decision on Rajasthan CM in a day or two</a></strong></p>.<p>As Congress general secretary K C Venugopal made it clear that Sonia might decide on the chief minister, sources said the leader who has the support of the majority of MLAs will be at the helm, indicating that Gehlot will continue. Sources said the central leadership will also try to compensate Pilot with some responsibility at the national level.</p>.<p>Gehlot told Sonia that he cannot leave Rajasthan and that if the leadership is given to Pilot, the government will fall. He also claimed that Pilot would leave the party and cited instances of rebellion in the past as well as the support he enjoyed — 102 against Pilot and 18 others.</p>.<p>If the observers — Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken — gave an “accurate” report on the developments in Jaipur, the party would have benefitted. But Maken had refused to meet Gehlot after MLAs did not turn up for the CLP meeting.</p>.<p>Sources said Gehlot felt that a formula – Pilot being the Chief Minister and current Speaker CP Joshi to become Finance Minister – was being considered. He said whenever there were political developments, people floated names and it happened this time too.</p>.<p>He also tried to impress upon Sonia that the BJP had tried to wean away MLAs offering Rs 10-50 crore, sources added.</p>
