Sachin Pilot meets supporters in Jaipur ahead of meeting Gehlot face-to-face at CLP meet

Ahead of the Congress legislative party (CLP) meeting at CM Ashok Gehlot's residence, ex-Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, on Thursday, met with supporters in Jaipur, thanking them for their continued support through his short-lived rebellion. Pilot will come face to face with CM Gehlot for the first time since rebelling against him at the CLP meeting. While BJP is preparing to move a no-confidence motion against Gehlot, Pilot's future in Gehlot's government is yet to be known.

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Pilot meets supporters ahead of CLP meet

BJP & Congress LP meeting

Earlier in the day, BJP decided to move no-confidence motion against Gehlot government in Rajasthan during the Assembly session on Friday. Talking to the media after the BJP Legislative Party meeting, Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria. While former CM Vasundhara Raje too attended the meeting dismissing rumours of rift in BJP, Gehlot - whose supporting MLAs are still at Fairmont Hotel, has called a CLP meeting with all Congress MLAs in his residence. Sources have reported that the Gehlot camp is dissatisfied with Pilot and his rebel MLAs' return, demanding to meet with the High Command.

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Pilot returns to Congress

On Monday, Pilot and 18 rebel MLAs returned to Congress after Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi met with him, agreeing to appoint a 3-member panel to probe into Sachin Pilot's demands. Pilot may be given a national level role - mostly Gehlot's General secretary post, claim sources after he met with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence. On the otherhand, Pilot has maintained that he had only highlighted certain governance issues and there was no friction in the party. 

Pilot & his MLAs rebelled when  Rajasthan's Special Operations Group (SOG) issued notice to Pilot in connection with the alleged involvement of BJP leaders for toppling the state government with BJP members.  In response, Pilot and 18 MLAs arrived in Delhi, reducing the Congress' numbers from 107 to 88. Though Gehlot has submitted a letter of 102 MLAs, Congress also sacked Pilot as Deputy CM, PCC chief and cabinet posts.

Sachin Pilot says 'was never greedy for posts' after meeting top Congress brass

Pilot and his 18 MLAs have challenged the disqualification notices issued by Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi in the Rajasthan High Court. The court has ordered to maintain status-quo staying any action against the 19 rebel MLAs till the next hearing. Meanwhile, Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi and Speaker CP Joshi have again moved the Supreme Court challenging the Rajasthan High Court's 'status quo' order. Rajasthan Assembly is set to reconvene on August 14.

BJP to move no-confidence motion against Congress government in Rajasthan on August 14