As the Rajasthan crisis rages on, Rebel Sachin Pilot skipped the second meeting today of Rajasthan MLAs after the Congress invited him last night to come and sort out the dispute. The seething Deputy Chief Minister has rejected the olive branch offered by his party amid reports that he is actively talking to the BJP. Sachin Pilot’s camp released a video last night showing at least 16 MLAs, hours after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot flaunted MLAs at a meeting at his home in Jaipur. The Congress leadership waited for the Chief Minister’s show of strength before trying to placate Sachin Pilot, but has so far drawn a blank. Pilot’s revolt seems to have eroded Gehlot’s numbers. The Chief Minister had invited all 107 Congress MLAs and 15 others - independents and allies. Party leaders said 106 of these 122 MLAs attended. However, the Chief Minister’s numbers may be barely one more than the half-way mark of 101 in the 200-member assembly. In the 200-member assembly, the Congress had 107 MLAs and the support of 13 independents and five from smaller parties.
