Image Source: INDIA TODAY

Maharashtra's Maha Vikas Aghadi government is on alert after a political turmoil gripped Rajasthan. According to sources, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Monday to discuss the crisis in Rajasthan. Prior to this meeting, Congress State President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat also met CM Thackery. In his three-part interview to Saamana Executive Editor Sanjay Raut, Pawar spoke about more 'communication' in the alliance. Some BJP leaders have been warning of 'surprises' in Maharashtra politics in the month of October.

Apart from the Rajasthan issue, CM Thackeray has also spoken to the two leaders about other important bureaucratic appointments, say sources. The current crisis in Rajasthan began on Friday when the Rajasthan Police sent a notice to deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, asking him to record his statement over an alleged attempt to bring down the government. The same notice was sent to chief minister Ashok Gehlot and some other MLAs, but Pilot�s supporters claimed that it was only meant to humiliate him. Pilot, who is in Delhi, has raised a banner of revolt against CM Gehlot, after the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police sent him the notice for appearing before it in the case involving "horse-trading" of MLAs in the state. Pilot has been upset since he was denied the Rajasthan chief minister's post after the December 2018 assembly elections.

On Sunday, he claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government is in minority and that he has the support of over 30 MLAs in the 200-member state assembly. The events in Rajasthan come almost four months after the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh headed by Kamal Nath was toppled, with his bete noire Jyoritaditya Scindia switching sides to the BJP, along with his supporters. However, the situation in Rajasthan is different as the Congress has 107 MLA in the 200-member state assembly, and also enjoys support of at least 10 independent MLAs. The BJP has 72 MLAs and has the support of three MLAs of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party run by Hanuman Beniwal.