Gehlot, Pilot shake hands; House session from today

JAIPUR: After more than a month of acrimony, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and his rebellious former deputy Sachin Pilot met here on Thursday, keeping behind the bitterness and flashing victory signs to their supporters and the media.
The two met at the CM’s residence for half an hour at 4.30pm — just ahead of the Congress legislature party (CLP) meeting — in the presence of top Congress members KC Venugopal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ajay Maken, Avinash Pande and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra.At the CM’s residence, Dotasra received Pilot with folded hands when the latter alighted from his car and led him to Gehlot’s room. The AICC members were already inside while Gehlot entered a few minutes after Pilot had been seated. Photos and video released later showed Gehlot and Pilot shaking hands. Pilot patted Gehlot’s fist, while the latter held his arm during the handshake.
Addressing the CLP meet ahead of the crucial session of the Rajasthan assembly beginning on Friday, Gehlot told Congress legislators that the state government would have proven its majority sans the 19 rebel MLAs but that would have been devoid of happiness and stability. “Apne toh apne hote hain,” he told the gathering that included Pilot and his group of 18 legislators, who had rebelled last month.
Pilot assured the CLP meet that “every single person sitting in this hall” would go by whatever Congress president Sonia Gandhi asked them to do when the truce was brokered.