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Veteran Cong leader to meet Sonia Gandhi at 5 pm, help with Rajasthan crisis
Former union minister AK Antony, 81, enjoys considerable influence within the party and the Gandhis will hope it is enough to quell further unrest within the Rajasthan camp.
Veteran Congress leader AK Antony - summoned to Delhi to help deal with the Rajasthan crisis and select a candidate for the October election - will meet Sonia Gandhi at 5 pm. The ex defence and Kerala chief minister returned to his home state in March after calling time on his political career.
A senior leader said Tuesday Sonia Gandhi sought help from Antony - seen as one of the party's more influential figures - to 'solve the Rajasthan impasse'.
The race for the Congress president's post turned into (yet another) full-blown crisis for the Congress after over 90 MLAs loyal to Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot threatened to resign - and bring down their government - if not allowed to select a successor. Rajasthan is one of only two states in which the Congress holds power on its own and is due for elections in 14 months.
READ | Congress high command summons AK Antony amid internal turmoil
The rebel MLAs also refused the elevation of Sachin Pilot to the chief minister's chair. Pilot led a rebellion of his own in 2020 - one put down firmly by Gehlot.
Gehlot is widely seen as a frontrunner for the post of Congress president and is also due in Delhi today, where he too will meet Sonia Gandhi and file his papers.
READ | Gehlot likely to meet Sonia Gandhi, file papers for Cong polls
His candidature, though, has been fraught with tension not only because of the MLAs' actions but also because he sought to retain the CM's post - which violates the 'one person, one post' rule adopted at the party's Udaipur meeting.
That rule was underlined by Rahul Gandhi last week in a meeting with Gehlot.
Meanwhile, Gehlot on Tuesday met over two dozen Congress lawmakers - those who rebelled against the party - at his residence and asked them keep the faith.
READ | Gehlot meets Cong lawmakers, tells them 'have faith in Sonia Gandhi'
The widespread dissension among Rajasthan MLAs seen as loyal to Gehlot has irked the party's senior figures, who were hoping for a smooth transition - Gehlot from Rajasthan CM to Congress president and Pilot as the new CM.
Pilot - who this week refuted reports he had told the Congress leadership Gehlot could not now remain as CM - was in Delhi Tuesday too to meet Sonia Gandhi. He also flew to Kerala to meet Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in the southern state.
