JAIPUR: The bitter feud between Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and his challenger Sachin Pilot reached the point of no return with Congress on Tuesday sacking the latter as deputy CM and state party chief, accusing him of working at the instance of BJP to topple the state government.
The development was not a surprise as efforts by the Congress brass to get Pilot to withdraw his rebellion failed even as his supporters upped the ante by demanding a change of leadership. School education minister and Jat leader Govind Singh Dotasra, seen as “neutral” in state politics, was named the new PCC chief. The decision to remove Pilot came after a meeting of the Congress legislature party (CLP) called for strict action against rebels on Tuesday.
Four Pilot loyalists — cabinet ministers Vishvendra Singh (tourism) and Ramesh Meena (food and civil supplies) and heads of frontal organisations Rakesh Pareek of Seva Dal and Mukesh Bhakar of Youth Congress — were also sacked. Pareek was replaced by Hem Singh Shekhawat and Bhakar by MLA Ganesh Ghogra. NSUI president Abhimanyu Poonia resigned from his post in support of Pilot.
While BJP demanded that Gehlot face a floor test, Pilot’s plan of action was not immediately clear. He tweeted in Hindi, saying “truth can be rattled, not def