Maharashtra govt formation: Jaipur resort hosting Congress MLAs create buzz

A resort in the Rajasthan capital has become one of the centres of power play amid efforts to form the government in Maharashtra.

Since Friday evening, the new Congress MLAs are holed up at the resort on Delhi Road near here while party leaders discuss whether to support the Shiv Sena claim to power in Maharashtra.

With the MLAs staying in the resort at Pili Ki Talai area in Amer near Jaipur, many senior Congress leaders from Rajasthan, including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, have been frequently visiting the resort to gauge the MLA's mood.

The frequent trips of Maharashtra Congress MLAs and party leaders as well as chief minister to and from the resort has created a buzz among locals.

Other Rajasthan Congress leaders who have been making frequent trips to the resort included state Health Minister Raghu Sharma, party's Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi as well as many other local legislators.

With nothing much to do, the Maharashtra Congress MLAs too have been visiting various tourist destinations in an around Jaipur when they are not engrossed in meeting with their party's senior leaders like Avinash Pande, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan.

Some of the MLAs visited Pushkar in Ajmer on Saturday and Amber Fort on Sunday.

The frequent trips of Congress leaders to the resort have created abuzz among local residents.

We did not see such a movement before. Politicians are doing rounds in vehicles. Cavalcade of the chief minister too was frequently seen in the area. It is not a usual thing for us," said a Pili Ki Talai area resident.

Scenes of hustle-bustle are there and the talk of the town is that the politics of Maharashtra has shifted to our area for the time being. The movement has increased in the last two days, he added.

The Maharashtra Congress senior leaders, including Pande, Shinde, Kharge and Chavans left for Delhi on Monday while the MLAs are staying put in the resort.