Selja meets CM Gehlot amid cabinet rejig buzz

JAIPUR: Amid the possibilities of a Cabinet reshuffle, Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja arrived in Jaipur and held closed-door meeting with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Sunday. Selja is considered close to Sonia Gandhi and is believed to have conveyed a message from the party high command. Party functionaries in Rajasthan linked her visit to the upcoming Cabinet rejig.

A senior leader, known to be close to Gehlot, said no one would know about the details of the discussions between the two.

Sources claim Selja’s visit comes immediately after AICC general secretary Ajay Maken met Rahul Gandhi on Sunday and briefed him about the three-day feedback meetings with MLAs and state executive.

She met Gehlot on the directions of the high command as the CM disagreed on some issues.

Selja is said to be a Gehlot supporter and was also the chairperson of the screening committee in the last assembly elections.

Meanwhile Maken indicated that some members of the Cabinet may be dropped.

A minister said, on the condition of anonymity, that it is a tradition that issues are resolved gradually. It is unlikely that the reshuffle would happen soon, besides bypoll dates are also to be announced in the coming days.

However, MLAs close to Sachin Pilot claim that the reshuffle would happen in the coming 8-10 days.

At present, there are 21 members in the Cabinet, including the chief minister, and nine slots are vacant.