Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot reached Congress president Sonia Gandhi's residence here on Thursday for a meeting with her.
Pilot reached Gandhi's residence hours after his bete noire and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had met her and later announced that he would not contest the Congress presidential poll after taking moral responsibility for the political crisis in his state.
Gehlot also said the decision on whether he would remain CM would be taken by Gandhi.
The meetings come days after an open rebellion by Gehlot loyalists over a possible leadership change in the state.
The party's disciplinary committee has asked three Gehlot loyalists -- Rajasthan ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi, and Dharmendra Rathore -- to explain within 10 days why action should not be initiated against them. This was after observers for Rajasthan, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken, charged them with "gross indiscipline" in a report to party chief Sonia Gandhi.
Eighty-two MLAs participated in a parallel meeting at Dhariwal's residence in Jaipur, laying down conditions for the party. They did not attend the official legislature party meeting convened for passing a resolution authorising the Congress chief to appoint a successor to Gehlot.
With the Rajasthan episode posing a significant challenge before the party, the Congress president has also been holding discussions with senior party leaders from across the country to resolve the crisis.
