Rajasthan political crisis live updates: Two-judge bench to hear Pilot camp's amended petition today

According to a Congress national leader in Jaipur, the party's doors are still open for Sachin Pilot because Rahul Gandhi has instructed that despite all the provocation, he should be given another chance. Sources said that Ahmed Patel, a leader very close to Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, is in contact with the former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan and is talking to him.

Former union minister and Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Wednesday said that if at all there is a political future for Sachin Pilot it is in the Congress party. "Whatever grievances you have, it needs to be resolved within the forum of the party. There is no hurry for Sachin Pilot. If at all there is a future for him it is in the Congress party. He has to realise that. He says he won't join BJP, it is good," Moily said. The former Union Minister Moily further said that Pilot could not become Chief Minister as in Congress, the high command sends an observer and opinion of MLAs is ascertained, be it in Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan.

The Rajasthan assembly Speaker, who entertained petitions seeking disqualification of Congress leader Sachin Pilot and 18 rebel MLAs, has ample powers under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and the Members of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on the Ground of Defection) Rules to return a verdict bolstering CM Ashok Gehlot’s grip over party MLAs.

Sachin Pilot’s sacking as deputy CM and Rajasthan Congress chief and a clear divide in the state Congress legislature party ended an uneasy peace that prevailed since the government took office 19 months ago. Whatever the fate of the government, party leaders believe it has moved into a difficult phase.

With Sachin Pilot clarifying on Wednesday that he would not join BJP, the options left before him could be to join a non-BJP party or float his own political outfit—that is in case he decides to leave Congress or the party expels him in the coming days. Rajasthan, however, has been unreceptive to both the ideas. Since Independence, the state has elected either a Congress government or a BJP one. Leaders who formed their own outfits were largely rejected by the people.

In 2018, the Congress high command had to call back Gehlot from Delhi airport when news spread that agitated Gujjars had blocked a national highway and went on a rampage after Sachin was not made the chief minister. Pilot’s pressure had forced the party to work out a compromise formula by accommodating him as the deputy chief minister and agreeing to retain him in the post of party state chief. But this time the reaction is almost muted.

Absence from a legislature party meeting can't be a ground for disqualification from the state assembly, said Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia raising a question over notices sent to rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and his supporter MLAs in this regard.