Rajasthan Congress crisis: Kamal Nath roped in to mediate Gehlot-Pilot feud, say sources

Amid the ongoing crisis in Congress’s Rajasthan unit, senior leader Kamal Nath is likely to mediate a truce between the Ashok Gehlot and the Sachin Pilot factions.

The Congress high command summoned senior leader Kamal Nath to Delhi on Monday as crisis erupted within the party’s Rajasthan unit. The veteran leader was asked to step in to troubleshoot the ongoing Rajasthan Congress crisis, sources said.

Kamal Nath met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence in the national capital after she held a meeting with party observers for the state, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken.

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Crisis erupted in Rajasthan Congress after 82 party MLAs resigned on Sunday night. With Ashok Gehlot confirming his bid for Congress chief race, there were speculation of Sachin Pilot being appointed as the next CM. The MLAs loyal to Ashok Gehlot, however, were not in favour of Sachin Pilot. The factional feud over a possible leadership change plunged the Congress’s Rajasthan unit into crisis.

Soon after, the Congress high command roped in Kamal Nath to broker truce within the two factions, sources said.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Kamal Nath said he has no interest in the post of Congress president, adding, “I have come to Delhi for Navratri."

This is the second time in past four months that the Congress leadership has roped in Kamal Nath as mediator. The senior party leader was earlier sent to Maharashtra after crisis loomed over the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress following Eknath Shinde’s rebellion.