During a significant meeting at the residence of Congress party chief Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi on Monday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot reached an agreement to contest the high-stakes state Assembly elections together as a united front.

Gehlot and Pilot had their first face-to-face meeting in the presence of the senior party leadership, marking a crucial step towards resolving the internal conflicts within the Rajasthan Congress.

The meeting was convened with the intention of addressing the infighting issues well in advance of the upcoming polls.

Key attendees at the significant meeting included Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, and Jitendra Singh, a prominent party leader from Rajasthan. 

The meeting, which extended for more than four hours, held great importance in addressing internal matters and finding a resolution.

Following the meeting, KC Venugopal expressed that a unanimous decision had been reached to contest the elections together as a unified force. 

He confidently stated that the Congress party would emerge victorious in Rajasthan. Both Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot have fully endorsed the proposal.

Pilot's ultimatum to the state administration

The meeting came on the heels of Pilot's ultimatum to the state administration that if three requests he made were not met by the end of this month, he would start a state-wide agitation.

Pilot has called for a comprehensive investigation at a senior level into the alleged fraudulent activities that occurred during the tenure of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Sachin Pilot, who joined the deliberations later held at Kharge's residence, stated that during the discussion, a decision was made to contest the election as a united front.

He emphasized the consensus between both parties that the Congress must remain united, expressing confidence in winning the elections in Rajasthan.

The AICC General Secretary of the Organization stated that both leaders have entrusted the resolution of all Rajasthan-related issues to the party's high command.

Rahul Gandhi was also present at the meeting

During the meeting convened at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence, Rahul Gandhi was in attendance along with Rajasthan PCC Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Venugopal.

The discussions commenced with Gehlot at 6 pm, while Pilot joined later, shortly after 8 pm on Monday.

During the meeting convened at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence, Rahul Gandhi was in attendance along with Rajasthan PCC Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Venugopal. The discussions commenced with Gehlot at 6 pm, while Pilot joined later, shortly after 8 pm.

For the first time in a considerable period, the Rajasthan chief minister and his former deputy met in person alongside prominent party officials. Since the Congress assumed power in the state in 2018, Gehlot and Pilot have been engaged in a persistent power struggle. 

In 2020, Pilot led an unsuccessful revolt against the Gehlot government, resulting in his removal from the roles of the party's state unit president and deputy chief minister.

In a recent act of defiance against the party's warning, Pilot embarked on a day-long fast, openly criticizing Gehlot for his perceived inaction regarding alleged corruption during the previous Raje government.