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Sachin meets Rahul n Priyanka. What comes out of it is anybody’s guess ?

As the date of 14 th August is coming nearer, the day of the Rajasthan assembly session to commence for the floor test deciding fate of the Congress government led by incumbent Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, his bete noire Sachin Pilot who had till now maintained a well studded silence having not opened his cards, with 19 MLAs on his side has today finally met the former Congress president Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi in Delhi. It may be recalled that during his one month stay in Manesar Haryana n Delhi Sachin Pilot had been meeting senior leader Ahmed Patel n general secretary K. C Venugopal casually but was not granted appointment with Rahul Gandhi despite his best efforts.

However, there had been news about Sachin Pilot’s meeting Priyanka Gandhi though there was no reliability of these news except rumours. But today’s meeting with Rahul n Priyanka is being confirmed quoting two important leaders of the Congress party. However, what transpired in the meeting between both the leaders is still a close guarded secret. Sources reveal that reports about Sachin Pilot’s loyalist’ MLAs being obstinate on ousting Ashok Gehlot as Raj CM n not accepting anyone else except Sachin Pilot have annoyed Rahul Gandhi n other senior Congress leaders who do not want to give opportunity to BJP to exploit the situation to their advantage especially after Madhya Pradesh disaster. Meanwhile rebel Sachin Pilot after losing his deputy CM’s post n state president who was earlier over confident of getting the support of more than thirty MLAs could not go beyond 18 to 19 MLAs which has infact disturbed his entire game of destabilising Ashok Gehlot’s government and gaining from it politically.

What demoralised him the most is the fact that no central leader including Rahul n Priyanka came to his rescue who were considered to be his sort of God fathers, On the other hand incumbent Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot seems to be too confident with the support of 101/ 2 MLAs on his side still packed in hotels. Even the Bhartiya Janata Party was constrained to shift its 17 MLAs, majority of them of the tribal belt to Gujarat accusing the CM Gehlot of trying to poach them on his side.

On several occasions Ashok Gehlot has publicly accused Sachin Pilot of hobnobbing with BJP for toppling his government. He expressed his over confidence of sailing through the troubled waters not once but many times thus demoralising not only BJP but pilot too. It is believed that finding himself in quandary the rebel leader had no option but to go for reapproachment with his leader Rahul Gandhi demanding ministerial berths with important portfolios for few of his loyal MLAs n adjusting him at the centre with an important position.

Though it is true that Rahul would not like to repeat Madhya Pradesh but he would not annoy Sachin Pilot as well and as such will try to find a balance between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot. But it remains to be seen as to what comes out of the talks between Rahul n Sachin. There is one more bottleneck in the way of Ashok Gehlot at present n it’s the hearing on the case pertaining to 6 BSP MLAs who’d merged with the Congress.

The case is in Rajasthan High Court n the BJP MLA Nidal has gone in the supreme Court as well with its hearing due for Tuesday.

The meeting between Rahul n Sachin hold tremendous significance as it’s just two days left when the Rajasthan assembly opens to decide on the fate of Ashok Gehlot. If Sachin Pilot agrees to Rahul Gandhi n Priyanka’s advice and directs his loyalist MLAs to support Ashok Gehlot, no power can let the Congress government go as it will have about twenty MLAs more than the half number figure of 100, but if it doesn’t happen, though Ashok Gehlot still has 101 MLAs n he’s too confident of going through but with difficulty of -course.

In Rajasthan assembly there are in all 200 MLAs. OUT OF THIS TOTAL NUMBER, BJP HAS 72 PLUS THREE, OF LOKTANTRIK PARTY, unambiguously MEANING that THEY NEED MINIMUM 26 MLAS, MORE , TO FORM THE GOVERNMENT WHICH SEEMS NEIGH TO IMPOSSIBLE TILL YET as Sachin Pilot had publicly said that he has no intention to join the BJP on the lines of Jyotiraditya Scindia though his 18 MLAs are still securing patronage in a BJP state Haryana. However, in politics nothing is confirmed or static n the equation can change any moment? What happens next is anybody’s guess ? Let’s wait for 14 th August?

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Sunil Negi

Sunil Negi is a senior journalist and president of Uttarakhand Journalists Forum ( Regd). He usually writes on socio political subjects and have been contributing articles in print media for the last several years. Mr. Sunil Negi had been felicitated by All India Achievers conference's Pride of India and excellence awards apart from several other recognitions. He has translated a book on ecological disaster of Uttarakhand of June 2013 and edited and published two editions of Uttaranchal's Who's Who.

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