Rajasthan Congress crisis: From Ashok Gehlot to Sachin Pilot... take a look at the main actors

MLAs loyal to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot rebelled on Sunday against the Congress high command over the possibility of Sachin Pilot becoming the next CM, once the veteran leader is elected as the party’s national president. Take a look at the major players involved in the crisis.

Amid buzz over the likely successor of Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot - who is set to contest the Congress presidential polls next month - a massive political crisis has hit the state.

MLAs loyal to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot rebelled Sunday towards the Congress excessive command over the potential of Sachin Pilot turning into the subsequent CM, as soon as the veteran chief is elected because the social gathering’s nationwide president. These are the important thing gamers in the Rajasthan drama.

Ashok Gehlot

Ashok Gehlot

Rajasthan’s chief minister for the third time, Gehlot was tipped to become the national president of the Congress. After the Congress took control of the state in December 2018, he fought with Sachin Pilot for the position of chief minister. When his deputy Pilot turned against him in 2020, Gehlot was able to save his administration.

Sachin Pilot

Pilot was considered the frontrunner for the CM post if Ashok Gehlot resigned after being elected as the Congress national president. Pilot was the state Congress chief when the party was in opposition. He contested the CM position after the Congress won the assembly elections in December 2018. But he was forced to accept the position of deputy CM. He was sacked from his positions as PCC president and deputy CM in 2020 for organising a coup against Gehlot.

cp joshi

CP Joshi

Gehlot's top pick if he needs to resign as chief minister is thought to be Rajasthan Assembly Speaker, who was also running for the position. To put pressure on the party's top officials, Gehlot's supporters gathered at his house on Sunday to hand in their resignation letters. Joshi has served as both a Union minister and the general secretary of the AICC.

Ajay maken

Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge

The party high command sent Ajay Maken, the AICC general secretary in charge of Rajasthan, and Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, to Jaipur to speak with MLAs and persuade them to approve a resolution at a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting authorising party president Sonia Gandhi to choose Gehlot's replacement.

Congress senior leader Shanti Dhariwal in Jaipur. (PTI Photo) (PTI09_27_2022_000051B)

Shanti Dhariwal

Dhariwal, the state's minister for Urban Development and Housing and Parliamentary Affairs, is an ardent supporter of Ashok Gehlot. On Sunday, he called a gathering of Gehlot supporters at his house as a show of support for the CM before the CLP meeting.

Congress MLA Pratap Singh Khachariyawas speaks to the media as he arrives at party leader Shanti Dhariwal's residence before a Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting at Rajashthan CM's residence, in Jaipur, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (PTI Photo)(PTI09_25_2022_000319B)

Pratap Singh Khachariyawas

Khachariyawas, a senior minister in the Gehlot administration, has publicly backed the CM and stated that he should not be ousted. He was seen as being close to Sachin Pilot prior to the 2018 assembly elections. Khachariyawas, however, a staunch supporter of Gehlot throughout the 2020 issue.

Jaipur: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot with Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra at an 'Iftaar' party at his official residence, in Jaipur, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (PTI Photo)(PTI04_23_2022_000206B)

Govind Singh Dotasra

Dotasra, a Jat politician and the president of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress, frequently travels with Gehlot around the state. He is thought to be a contender for the position of deputy chief minister.

Congress MLA Sanyam Lodha in Jaipur. (PTI Photo)

Sanyam Lodha

After being rejected for the party ticket, Lodha ran as an independent and won the 2018 assembly election. He was the first to alert the Congress leadership on Sunday that the stability of the state government would be in jeopardy if somebody from the Pilot camp were appointed as chief minister.

Congress MLA Rajendra Singh Gudha talks to media in Jaipur. (PTI Photo) (PTI09_27_2022_000054B)

Rajendra Gudha

One of the six BSP-turned-Congress MLAs and a minister, Gudha was said to be in the Gehlot camp earlier. But when Gehlot appeared set to contest the party president’s election, he seemed to switch sides.

Congress MLA Dharmendra Singh Rathore in Jaipur. (PTI Photo) (PTI09_27_2022_000056B)

Dharmendra Rathore

Rajasthan’s Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) chairman Rathore is close to Gehlot, and is said to have played an important role in Sunday’s developments.