Rajasthan Political Crisis: Kapil Sibal Lashes Out at Sachin Pilot, Says 'You Can't be CM With Support of 20-25 MLAs'

New Delhi, July 24: Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Friday lashed out at rebel party leader Sachin Pilot for seeking to become Chief Minister of Rajasthan replacing Ashok Gehlot. At a virtual news conference, Kapil Sibal told Sachin Pilot that he can't be chief minister of a state with the support of just 20-25 MLAs. Sibal also asked Pilot that if he was not joining the Bahratiya Janata Party (BJP) then why he was in Haryana. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Congress to Challenge HC's Order on Sachin Pilot's Plea, Governor 'Studying' Ashok Gehlot's Request For Assembly Session.

Sibal reminded Pilot that at 25, as a Congress leader he had become an MP and at 30, a minister and PCC chief, and then subsequently became the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan. "You have 19 MLAs with you and want to become Chief Minister but Congress has more than 100 members... so how can you become Chief Minister when you don't have numbers?" Sibal said. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Congress MLAs Demand Convening of Assembly Session, Protest at Raj Bhawan After Ashok Gehlot's Meeting With Governor Kalraj Mishra; Watch Video.

"I want to ask Sachin, do you want to become Chief Minister? Tell us. Why protest? If you say you are not joining the BJP, then why are you sitting in Haryana? Why didn't you attend Congress meetings?" Sibal said. "The party is intrigued by your actions. You can't make party a tamasha (grand show) before the public. I am sure that is not your intention," the senior advocate added. His reactions came after the Rajasthan High Court gave interim relief to the Pilot camp.

The Congress government in Rajasthan, headed by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, is facing a political crisis after Pilot along with 18 legislators revolted against the party. Following the revolt, the Gehlot government has a wafer-thin majority in the state assembly with only two more than the majority-mark of 101 in the 200-member House. The BJP has 72. The opposition has 97 members, including 19 from the Pilot camp.

Meanwhile, Gehlot along with Congress MLAs is sitting at Governor Kalraj Mishra's residence in Jaipur, demanding that an assembly session be convened. Gehlot came up with the plan to meet the Governor soon after the High Court on Friday ordered status quo with regard to the July 14 disqualification notices served by Speaker CP Joshi to 19 rebel MLAs, including Sachin Pilot, who was sacked as Deputy Chief Minister and PCC chief.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2020 06:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).