The political compromise struck with the Congress rebels hasn’t obliterated the bitterness generated over the past month, making it extremely difficult for the central leadership to immediately visualise any role for Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan.

A senior leader told The Telegraph: “It is too early to predict what will happen, but rehabilitating Pilot as deputy chief minister or the state (Congress) chief looks very difficult now. No commitment has been given to him and the return is unconditional. We are aware of the unease and reservations among Congress workers and MLAs and that will be factored in whenever the three-member committee (set up to resolve the Rajasthan impasse) decides the future course.”

The 100 MLAs who remained loyal to the party are said to be angry at what they perceive as casual handling of the crisis by the high command, wondering how a compromise could be reached without talking to both sides.

They have asked general secretary in charge of Rajasthan, Avinash Pandey, and chief minister Ashok Gehlot to arrange for a meeting with the high command as no decision can be taken without hearing their version of the unseemly developments.

Although a report will be submitted to the central leadership on every aspect of the crisis, the MLAs have demanded a personal meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi as the Pilot-led rebellion that not only shook the government but gave the Congress a bad name in the midst of the pandemic cannot be taken lightly.

Many MLAs expressed anger on Tuesday night in front of Gehlot who requested them to move on now that a reconciliation has been reached after Pilot returned to the party fold.

Talking to the media on Wednesday morning, Gehlot said: “I have told them forgive and forget. In the larger interest of the party and the country, we should accept those who have come back and focus on serving the people. After all, the primary task is to protect democracy, which is in peril. It is natural for the MLAs to be upset. It is not easy to keep the flock together for such a long time. They all had to be kept in hotels. It is remarkable that they stayed united.”

The MLAs were on Wednesday brought back to Jaipur from Jaisalmer but not allowed to go home. They are back in Hotel Fairmont under strict security despite the crisis blowing over, indicating that Gehlot is not taking any chances and the suspicions have not evaporated.

Although the MLAs belonging to the Pilot camp too have reached Jaipur, they did not join their colleagues at Fairmont Hotel.

Even Pilot stayed at home, meeting his supporters there, instead of calling on the chief minister. They are unlikely to meet before the legislature party meeting that may happen on Thursday or the day after.

Although central leaders believe the situation will become normal in a few days and hesitation is not unusual after such a bitter crisis, Rajasthan leaders have not taken kindly to the statements and interviews given by Pilot after the reconciliation.

A leader told this newspaper over phone from Jaipur: “The high command should have taken care to warn these people against making fresh attacks on the chief minister. Pilot has laid the entire blame on the chief minister, accusing him of ordering an investigation by the SOG (special operations group) of Rajasthan police, as if what was being probed is of no significance.”

The SOG probe had been ordered into allegations of horse-trading, based on audio tapes of purported conversations between a Union minister from the BJP and a Congress rebel.

A central leader of the Congress, too, felt that Pilot could have avoided his candid talk and allowed the tensions to subside.

The situation is still simmering and nobody in Rajasthan, neither Gehlot nor central observers Avinash Pandey, Randeep Surjewala and Ajay Maken, have spoken to Pilot so far.

Sources said how to break the ice was an issue yet to be decided.

The Congress general secretary in charge of organisation, K.C. Venugopal, who has been talking to Pilot, will reach Jaipur on Wednesday night and decide the strategy in consultation with the leaders already in Rajasthan.

Interestingly, however, the rebel MLAs other than Pilot who have returned have begun meeting and talking to Gehlot, reaffirming their faith in his leadership. Some of them have even expressed regret and promised not to repeat their actions in the future.

Pilot’s lieutenant Vishvendra Singh, who was sacked as minister and suspended from the party, went to the extent of saying the “respect for Gehlot in our hearts is intact” and iterated that they never spoke a word against him or the central leadership.

BJP to move no-trust

The BJP in Rajasthan will move a motion of no confidence in the state assembly against the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government, leader of opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said on Thursday, reports PTI from New Delhi.

Vasundhara Raje and other top Rajasthan BJP leaders met earlier today to plan for the session. It was the first meeting of BJP MLAs since the Congress rebel crisis broke out early July, pushing the Ashok Gehlot government to the verge of collapse.

After the meeting, Kataria told reporters that the motion of no confidence will be moved in the assembly session which is beginning from Friday.

On the other hand, Congress on Thursday revoked the suspension of Bhanwarlal Sharma and Vishvendra Singh, two MLAs who had rebelled against the Ashok Gehlot government.

They were suspended from the party's primary membership last month over their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to topple the Congress government in the state.