Gehlot to meet Sonia after 8 months, a day ahead of CWC

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is slated to meet Sonia Gandhi on Friday, eight months after he last met the interim Congress President. The meeting comes a day ahead of the Congress working Committee (CWC) meeting to be held on Saturday.

Gehlot, as per programme, will depart to Delhi on Friday afternoon to attend the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting scheduled on October 16. This will be his second visit to Delhi this year after his trip to the national capital on February 27.

During his visit, the long-pending issues of cabinet reshuffle, political appointments and organisational expansion may be discussed with the party high command. Sources said that these pending issues are likely to receive green signal when Gehlot meets Sonia Gandhi on Friday.

Former Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot's camp has been demanding a cabinet reshuffle for a long time now. Apart from this camp, even MLAs from the BSP have been raising the demand for cabinet berths and political appointments.


Maken has set deadlines for a possible cabinet expansion many times, but has been unable to meet them. Now after Gehlot's proposed visit to Delhi, the winds of change have again gathered momentum in this desert state.

However amid the differences, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former state Congress chief Sachin Pilot were seen seated together in a helicopter last week as both were headed to Vallabh Nagar and Dhariyawad constituencies where nominations were to be filed by candidates, namely, Preeti Shaktawat and Nagraaj Meena.

Gehlot shared a picture on his Twitter handle in which party General Secretary Ajay Maken, state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot along with him were seen smiling in a helicopter - IANS