In wake of the recent upheaval in Rajasthan politics, Congress on Tuesday sacked its main instigator Sachin Pilot from the posts of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and PCC President.
Cracking the whip on the rebel party leader, the party also removed his loyalists Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena from the state cabinet.
AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala announced the decision after a Congress Legislature Party meeting held here amid a tussle for power between Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Surjewala said Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara will be the new Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief.
Surjewala said Sachin Pilot enjoyed the affection and blessings of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and was given political power at a young age. Yet, he and other ministers were trying to topple the state government as part of a BJP conspiracy, he added.
"It cannot be acceptable to any political party. Therefore, the Congress took the decisions with a heavy heart, he said announcing the removal of Sachin Pilot, Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena from the state cabinet.
Surjewala said Govind Singh Dotasara, who is an experienced OBC leader and the son of a farmer, has been made the new state Congress chief. Tribal leader and MLA Ganesh Ghogra will be the new president of the Youth Congress, he said.
Till now, the post was held by Pilot loyalist Mukesh Bhakar, who on Monday had tweeted that the loyalty to the Congress meant the "slavery" of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Soon after his removal as Rajasthan deputy chief minister, rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot said "truth can be rattled, not defeated".
He also changed his profile on Twitter deleting all references to his position as deputy CM and Rajasthan Congress chief.
He only described himself as MLA of Tonk and a former Minister of IT, Telecom & Corporate affairs, Government of India.
"Truth can be rattled, not defeated," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused rebel leader Sachin Pilot of playing into the hands of the BJP.
Speaking after the Congress announced the sacking of Pilot and his two aides from the state cabinet, Gehlot alleged that that the BJP wanted to repeat what it had done in Madhya Pradesh.
(With inputs from agencies)
