Congress leader K.C. Venugopal.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
Amid reports that the Congress leadership is in the final stages of working out a compromise formula between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal on June 22 evening reached Jaipur.
Mr. Venugopal is said to have gone to attend a wedding invitation but the timing of the visit is significant. His meeting comes a day after Mr. Pilot is said to have met party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
It also comes just on the eve of former party chief Rahul Gandhi’s return from abroad.
On May 29, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had held a marathon four-hour meeting with both Mr. Gehlot and Mr. Pilot in separate sessions at his Delhi residence in the presence of Mr. Gandhi.
Source had told TheHindu that the top Congress leadership has suggested that Mr. Pilot would be made the chairperson of the campaign committee of poll-bound Rajasthan. Mr. Gehlot is said to have opposed offering any other position such as reinstating him (Mr. Pilot) as the Pradesh Congress Committee chief.
Mr. Pilot, who unsuccessfully rebelled against the Chief Minister in July 2020, had threatened to launch an agitation against his own government if his demands weren’t met by end of May. One of the main demands included instituting a high-level inquiry to probe the alleged scams under the Vasundhara Raje government.
However, post the May 29 meeting, Mr. Pilot had deferred his plans as he is said to be awaiting Mr. Gandhi’s return for a resolution.