In Delhi, Sachin Pilot won't deny impending crisis talks with Priyanka Vadra; unclear when

In an interesting development in the internal Congress crisis, Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot has reached Delhi on Friday and is said to stay in the national capital till Sunday. While speaking of his visit, he maintained silence on his likely meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra, crucially not denying it when asked directly.

This development comes after Priyanka Vadra reached out to Sachin Pilot on Wednesday urging him to meet her soon, according to sources. Priyanka Vadra's call to Sachin Pilot occurred on the day when Jitin Prasada, a Congress leader from UP, jumped ship to BJP leaving Pilot as the last 'young gun' from the erstwhile group of Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora and Jitin Prasada still with the Congress. Pilot had failed to leave the party earlier, his rebellion crushed by Ashok Gehlot, but the terms of his staying still remain. 

The Delhi visit by Sachin Pilot is in view of the internal rift in the Rajasthan Congress as according to reports, Pilot has indicated that a split in the party is imminent if no solution is found within a month's time.

Pilot, the former Deputy CM of Rajasthan, had expressed dissatisfaction over his concerns not being addressed despite having been flagged to the three-member committee in the last 10 months. As per sources, the infighting in Congress has increased to an extent that Sachin Pilot is not comfortable in sharing a stage with Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara and Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.

However, despite the infighting in Congress, Sachin Pilot has rejected speculations of him being the next to join BJP. Earlier in the day, Sachin Pilot slammed BJP leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi who had reportedly claimed that Sachin Pilot spoke to her and he would soon join BJP. While speaking with ANI, Sachin Pilot said, "Rita Bahuguna Joshi has said she has spoken to Sachin. She might have spoken to Sachin Tendulkar. She doesn’t have the courage to speak to me."

Sachin Pilot's rebellion in 2020

Sachin Pilot had been in the news last year for staging a month-long coup against the Gehlot government in Rajasthan which failed to work out and Pilot had to return back to the party. However, the Congress party sacked him as the Deputy CM and the PCC chief but accepted his return. Sachin Pilot had been a popular Congress leader from Rajasthan who led the battle against the then ruling BJP and led the Congress party to victory in the Rajasthan Assembly elections in 2018. The grand old party's subversion of young leaders was touted as the reason behind his rebellion. Sachin Pilot's rebellion followed just months after Jyotiraditya Scindia quit Congress and joined BJP leading to the fall of the Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh.

Jitin Prasada switches to BJP

Jitin Prasada, a senior Congress leader despite his relatively young 48 years, was welcomed into the saffron fold at the party headquarters in the presence of Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. Prasada jumped ship ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls that are scheduled to take place early next year. The Congress leader, who was perceived as Rahul Gandhi's close aide, met Goyal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi before joining the party.

His induction into BJP serves as a huge embarrassment to Congress as he was the AICC in-charge of the West Bengal Assembly polls in which his party was wiped out. This brings to an end the speculation regarding Prasada's place in Congress.