Sachin Pilot In Talks With BJP, Claims Support Of 19 MLAs, Say Sources

The Congress appears deep in crisis in Rajasthan three months after it lost Jyotiraditya Scindia and Madhya Pradesh to the BJP after a long-drawn tussle between the old guard and the new. Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot -- who shares an uneasy equation with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot -- is in talks with the BJP, sources said, claiming he has the support of 16 MLAs and three independents. The discussion has been on since before the lockdown -- parallely with Mr Scindia. But the BJP is not ready to offer Mr Pilot the Chief Minister's post and a section of leaders said he might float a regional party. Mr Pilot is deeply upset over summons for questioning by the Special Operations Group over allegations of destabilizing the government, sources close to him said. Mr Gehlot heads the home ministry which controls law and order. Mr Pilot is now in Delhi with some of his loyalist MLAs, talking to the party high command.