Before Yatra Enters Rajasthan, Congress Tasks KC Venugopal With Political Cease-Fire

Ahead of the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra's Rajasthan leg, scheduled to be held in the first week of December, political fight between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot has become a headache for the party, according to sources. To tackle this situation, the party organization's general secretary KC Venugopal is going to Jaipur on November 29.

Speaking to ANI, KC Venugopal said, "There is no conflict in Rajasthan. The party will show the strength of the Rajasthan Congress through Bharat Jodo Yatra".

According to sources, Mr Venugopal, who came to Delhi after meeting Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra, had a discussion with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on the political crisis. After that, Mr Venugopal's upcoming journey to Jaipur on November 29 was decided.

As per information, during his tour to Jaipur, Venugopal would hold meeting of the committees formed for the Rajasthan leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra, in which both Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot will also be present. Sources said, during this time he will also try to find a solution to the issue by talking to both of them separately and will also give a stern warning to stay away from any rhetoric or any indiscipline during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Earlier, when Ashok Gehlot came to Delhi and apologized after meeting Sonia Gandhi for holding a parallel meeting in Jaipur on September 25, Mr Venugopal was also present in the meeting.

"The resolution of leadership question in Rajasthan will come out in 2 to 3 days," Venugopal had said, coming out of 10 Janpath. But two months have passed since then and the matter became more complicated with fresh tussle between Gehlot and Pilot.

Meanwhile, according to sources, Pilot has been pressurizing the party high command on the leadership. He has reportedly asked the high command to conduct a secret vote of the MLAs and decide on the next leader, because Mr Gehlot has been claiming that the MLAs are with him. Sources claim that Mr Sachin went a step further and also said that the government will not fall if Mr Gehlot is removed.

Rajasthan has created a problem for Congress, which is in power only in two states. The second problem is that only Mr Gehlot has taken over the election command of the Congress in the Gujarat elections and Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra is about to enter Rajasthan. Due to this, sources say that Mr Kharge is in a mood to resolve the Rajasthan issue after the Gujarat elections. That is why, as an envoy of the High Command, the General Secretary of the organization is currently going to Jaipur on November 29 to bring the situation under control.

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