Jaipur (Rajasthan): The state in charge of Rajasthan Congress Ajai Maken did not attend the meeting held for Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra on Wednesday. This was the meeting of the state coordination committee formed for the yatra and was called by the state party president Govind Singh Doatasara in Jaipur. CM Ashok Gehlot and his political rival former deputy CM Sachin Pilot were seen together publicly after a long time.
Ajai Maken resigned from the post of in-charge of Rajasthan Congress on November 8th expressing his "inability and unwillingness to continue" as the in-charge of Rajasthan in a letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Although the state party president Govind Singh Dotasara had claimed that Maken’s resignation has not been accepted till now. Announcing the formation of the state coordination committee for the yatra a few days ago, Dotasra had said that Maken’s resignation has not been accepted yet so he is still the in-charge of the party in the state and has been inducted into the committee.
The first meeting of the committee was called on Wednesday and Maken was expected to attend the meeting but he did not come and party leaders kept mum about his absence from the meeting. Even Sachin Pilot did not answer this and said that the meeting was only for the yatra and nothing else was discussed in the meeting.
Maken firm on his decision of resignation
Sources in the party said that Maken’s absence from this important meeting has indicated that he is firm on his resignation and the party will have to appoint a new in charge before Rahul Gandhi’s yatra in Rajasthan which is expected to enter the state in the first week of December.
Notably. Maken had himself urged party president Kharge to appoint a new in-charge in the state before the yatra.
In the meantime CM Ashok Gehlot and his political opponent Sachin Pilot were seen together in the meeting after a long time, though as per sources no dialogue took place between both the leaders. ‘it will be interesting to see how Gehlot and Pilot will come together during the yatra as both had tried to avoid such occasions where they were expected to share the same platform,’ said a senior leader.
