Sachin Pilot's revolt has led the party's government in the state into a crisis situation.
Rajasthan Political Crisis Live Updates: Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is expected to attend a crucial meeting of the BJP in Jaipur tomorrow, sources told NDTV. The BJP, which has been keeping a close watch on the disarray in the Congress camp following Sachin Pilot's rebellion, will decide on its way forward at this meeting, sources said.
An open revolt by Congress' number two leader in Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot, has led the party's government in the state into a crisis situation. After a day of uncertainities and hectic meetings, the party packed off at least 100 MLAs to a resort in the evening, a sign that the crisis is far from over.
Mr Pilot, who showed no signs of bowing down and even skipped a meet called by his party, was later sacked Rajasthan's Deputy Chief Minister earlier today.
Here are the live updates on political developments in Rajasthan:
Young Leaders Must Not Be Neglected, says Sumitra Mahajan
Amid the crisis in the Congress government in Rajasthan, senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan said young leadership should not be neglected in politics and claimed her party had started thinking in this direction.
She said the young should also get an opportunity to show their abilities in politics.
Queried on the turn of events in Rajasthan, Ms Mahajan (77) said, "There is an internal battle (in the Congress) going on in Rajasthan. But the time has come that there should be no neglect of youth leadership (in politics). BJP, in a way, has started thinking that young leaders should not be ignored. The young should also get a chance to show their abilities in politics."
Shashi Tharoor, Priya Dutt express disappointment at Sachin Pilot leaving Congress
Several Congress leaders, including Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor and former MP Priya Dutt, on Tuesday, expressed disappointment at the removal of Sachin Pilot from the posts in the party and from the Rajasthan Cabinet.
Mr Tharoor said that he considers Mr Pilot to be "one of our best and brightest".
Priya Dutt said that along with the loss of Jyotiraditya Scindia, who joined BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Congress had lost "two stalwarts young leaders with great potential."
Rajasthan to go MP way, MVA govt will not last long: Ramdas Athawale
The Congress has already lost power in Madhya Pradesh and is about to be unseated in Rajasthan, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said on Tuesday and claimed the MVA government in Maharashtra, too, will not last long.
Mr Athawale, a BJP ally who heads the RPI (A), said Congress rebel leader Sachin Pilot, who has been removed as Rajasthan deputy chief minister, should stand firmly behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the Congress will lose power in the desert state if Pilot and MLAs supporting him join hands with the BJP.
The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment also predicted collapse of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra.
Ashok Gehlot should prove majority if he wants to expand Cabinet: Rajasthan BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria
BJP leader from Rajasthan, Gulab Chand Kataria, on Tuesday, said that with a divide now clearly visible in the Ashok Gehlot-led government after the removal of Sachin Pilot and other leaders in the State, the chief minister should first prove his majority through a floor test if he wants to expand his Cabinet.
"A vertical division can be seen in Congress party in Rajasthan, with the sacking of Deputy CM. Now, if the Chief Minister wants to expand his Cabinet, he should first prove majority on the floor," Mr Kataria told news agency ANI
Rajasthan government on autopilot as CM busy chasing Pilot: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Taking a dig at the crisis-hit Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday said the dispensation is on autopilot as the chief minister is "busy chasing a Pilot".
Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who was sacked from the post of Rajasthan deputy chief minister and state Congress chief by his party, has rebelled against Gehlot along with MLAs loyal to him.
"Sad to see Rajasthan Govt on auto-pilot because the CM is busy chasing a Pilot," the Union Jal Shakti minister said in a tweet.
In another tweet, Mr Shekhawat, who is also the BJP MP from Jodhpur, said the saffron party was being blamed for the current crisis even though the Congress's members are against their own government.
With Sachin Pilot Fiasco, A Section Of Congress Restive Against GandhisWith Sachin Pilot now lost to the Congress, the party notorious for its unwavering commitment to its First Family, the Gandhis, is, atypically, bristling at their leadership, a style of operation that has in three months driven away two bright, young stars - first Jyotiraditya Scindia and now the politician who is credited with resurrecting the party in Rajasthan after it was eviscerated in the state election in 2013.
Sad to see Sachin Pilot ''leave'' Congress: Shashi TharoorSenior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said he was sad to see Sachin Pilot "leave" the Congress and asserted that instead of "parting", the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister should have joined the effort to make the party a more effective instrument for "his and our dreams".
However, when asked on Twitter whether Mr Pilot had left the party, Mr Tharoor said, "Not formally. I certainly hope that reconciliation is still possible. The events of the last few days led me to draw an obvious inference."
"If he returns to the fold & works for a revived &reformed @incIndia, he would be more than welcome," the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.
The Congress on Tuesday cracked the whip on dissident leader Sachin Pilot, stripping him of the posts of deputy chief minister and the party''s Rajasthan unit president for revolting against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Responding to the developments, Mr Tharoor tweeted, "I am sad to see @SachinPilot leave @INCIndia.I consider him one of our best & brightest, and wish it had not come to this. Instead of parting, he should have joined the effort to make the Party a better & more effective instrument for his, and our, dreams."
Did nothing wrong, say Congress MLAs on sacking from Rajasthan CabinetSacked from the Rajasthan Cabinet for backing dissident leader Sachin Pilot, Congress MLAs Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena insisted Tuesday that they had done nothing wrong.
They, along with Pilot, were removed as Cabinet ministers for their alleged involvement in the "conspiracy to topple" the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in the state.
Vishvendra Singh, who is an MLA from Deeg-Kumher, was the state tourism minister while Meena held the portfolio of the food and civil supplies minister.
"Where did we make any statement against the party? We wanted to draw the attention of the party high-command to the fact that we were not able to deliver on things promised in the manifesto for which the public elected us," Vishvendra Singh said in a video message.
He asked what mistake they three committed that they were sacked from the Cabinet.
"I have no concern for being sacked as a minister. Rather, I will be able to serve people better but what reply the chief minister has for people who elected us and the party," he said.
Rajasthan Crisis For Congress: Congress Did Not Expel Sachin Pilot. Math Behind The MoveThe Congress today took action against its senior leader Sachin Pilot, who rebelled over the week-end, bringing the government of Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan to the brink of collapse. The Congress government is likely to have the support of 100 MLAs, below the majority mark in the 200-member assembly. Today, the Congress stripped the Deputy Chief Minister of all posts in the government and the party. Two ministers supporting him were also dropped from the government, but neither Mr Pilot, not his supporters were expelled from the party.
BREAKING: Vasundhara Raje to attend key BJP meet in Jaipur at 11 am tomorrow amid Congress's Sachin Pilot crisis. Read
here
Congress Ran Government Like A "Business": Jyotiraditya ScindiaFormer Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia again attacked the Congress today, accusing it of corruption and running the government in Madhya Pradesh "like a business". Since changing camp in March with 22 loyalist MLAs -- which led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Scindia has regularly targeted the party.
Young leaders must not be neglected, says Sumitra MahajanAmid the crisis in the Congress government in Rajasthan, senior BJP leader and former Lok
Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan said young leadership should not be neglected in politics and claimed her party had started thinking in this direction.
She said the young should also get an opportunity to show their abilities in politics.
Queried on the turn of events in Rajasthan, Ms Mahajan (77) said, "There is an internal battle (in the Congress) going on in Rajasthan. But the time has come that there should be no neglect of youth leadership (in politics). BJP, in away, has started thinking that young leaders should not be ignored. The young should also get a chance to show their abilities in politics."
Sachin Pilot thanks his supporters with a tweet
JUST IN: Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan ministers are on the way to the chief minister's house for a cabinet meeting.
Sachin Pilot In Tweet Reacts To Being Sacked By CongressMinutes after being dismissed from every office he held in Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot tweeted, "The truth can be harassed but not defeated."
It was the 42-year-old's first public comment in nearly two days; his last statement was to NDTV. "Nobody wants to leave his home, but can't continue to put up with this kind of humiliation; my MLAs and supporters are extremely hurt and I will have to listen to them," he told senior journalist and political analyst Javed Ansari.
Sachin Pilot's Supporters Protest In Dausa
Congress leader Sachin Pilot's supporters are currently protesting in Rajasthan's Dausa after the leader was stripped of his charge as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Mr Pilot's supporters burned the effigy of state minister Mamata Bhupesh.
Ms Bhupesh, Congress MLA from Sikrai, has supported Mr Gehlot. Mr Pilot's supporter claim that she was appointed a minister with former's support.
Sachin Pilot Was Richly Rewarded, Congress Claims, Stripping Him Of PostsThe Congress has hit meltdown in Rajasthan with the party accepting that its relationship with one of its top young leaders, Sachin Pilot, has all but ended. Come and talk to us, the party's RS Surjewala said, though he announced big punitive steps against the 42-year-old including removing him as Deputy Chief Minister.
Mr Pilot has been "ensnared" by the BJP into working to bring down the Congress government in Rajasthan, the party alleged today, adding that Mr Pilot had been given much recognition and key posts throughout his career with the party.
The government of Ashok Gehlot, Mr Pilot's long-time rival, is shaky now - the number of MLAs that are backing Mr Gehlot is down to 100 MLAs -two members of the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) which were siding with the Congress government have withdrawn their support. To remain in power, Mr Gehlot needs 101 MLAS to vote for him.
The BJP meanwhile has now decided that given the latest developments, it can legitimately seek a trust vote.
Read Sachin Pilot sacked as Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, party's state unit chief
Congress leader Sachin Pilot has been sacked as the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said today. Mr Pilot has also been relived from his duties as chief of Congress's Rajasthan unit.
Breaking: Sachin Pilot sacked as Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan
Congress leader Sachin Pilot has been sacked as the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said today.
Sachin Pilot Ignores Congress Request For Meeting As Precursor To TalksFor the second day in a row, Sachin Pilot, the Deputy Chief minister of Rajasthan, stood up his party by skipping a meeting of its legislators organized at a hotel on the outskirts of Jaipur.
Mr Pilot's no-show was unaccompanied by a regrets-only message - he has reportedly made it clear that unless the "Deputy" prefix in his title is removed, he will not return to the Congress fold.
Sources say that Mr Pilot, who is at a resort near Delhi, is in contact with the BJP; 24 hours ago, he said categorically that he would not join the Prime Minister's party.
Mr Pilot, 42, claims that he has about 30 of the party's 100 MLAs on his side- and that without them, his long-standing rival, Ashok Gehlot is the Chief Minister of a minority government. Mr Gehlot yesterday brandished about a 100 MLAs at his residence and invited camera crews to witness their numbers.
Read More Sachin Pilot Skips MeetRebel Sachin Pilot has skipped the second meeting today of Rajasthan MLAs after the Congress invited him last night to "come and sort out the dispute". The seething Deputy Chief Minister has rejected the olive branch offered by his party amid reports that he is "actively talking to" the BJP.
Read More Rajasthan Crisis: A Look At NumbersRajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's numbers may have slipped to barely above the majority mark after his deputy Sachin Pilot's rebellion. The Chief Minister's supporters had claimed yesterday that he has 106 MLAs on his side, five more than the majority mark of 101 in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly.
In reality, Ashok Gehlot's supporters may have dropped to 102.
The Congress had the support of 122 MLAs, including 107 of the Congress and 15 independent members and smaller parties.
Since Sachin Pilot's revolt, a lot has changed. Two Rajasthan ministers, Vishwendra Singh and Ramesh Meena, are believed to be among the Congress MLAs that are camping in Delhi with him.
Read Do Everything To Persuade Sachin Pilot: Kuldeep Bishnoi To CongressHaryana's Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi on Monday urged the Congress leadership to do everything possible to persuade Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, saying his exit from the party will deal a severe blow to it.
The Congress in Rajasthan is witnessing a power tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot, upset since he was denied the Chief Minister's post after the December 2018 assembly elections.
The current crisis began Friday night when the Rajasthan Police sent a notice to Mr Pilot, asking him to record his statement over an alleged attempt to bring down the government.
Read Congress Values Sachin Pilot, He Should Tell His Grievances: Abhishek Manu SinghviCongress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Monday said that Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot should come forward to hold talks with the top leadership about his grievances and assured that all problems will be addressed.
The senior leader, however, said that if the action of any MLA leads to harm to Congress government then it is simply not acceptable
"I consider Sachin Pilot as one of the most talented, competent and impressive Congressmen we have. He is a friend also. We all value him in the party. He should come and air his grievances, the floor is open. All people are prepared to listen to him," Mr Singhvi told news agency ANI through videoconferencing.
Read Congress Calls Meet With Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot Amid CrisisThe Congress on Monday avoided collapse in Rajasthan after a revolt by its number two leader in the state, Sachin Pilot, but it packed off at least 100 MLAs to a resort in a sign that its crisis is far from over. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot flashed the victory sign along with Congress MLAs who attended his meeting in Jaipur, asserting that his government is safe. The party has called another meeting of legislators at 10 am on Tuesday and invited rebel Sachin Pilot who remained cold to the overtures.
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