Cong’s Sachin Pilot in Delhi After Rejecting Claims of Joining BJP

Congress leader Sachin Pilot .

(Photo: PTI/File)

Hours after Congress leader Sachin Pilot dismissed claims of him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pilot reached Delhi to meet the Congress high command that is now trying to settle differences in its Rajasthan party unit.

This comes days after Jitin Prasada’s high-profile and controversial exit from the Congress. Pilot on Friday rejected claims by BJP’s Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who had said that Pilot will soon switch political camps.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Pilot said, “Rita Bahuguna Joshi has said that she spoke to Sachin. She might have spoken to Sachin Tendulkar. She doesn't have the courage to speak to me.”

The conjecture around Sachin Pilot comes in view of the issues raised by him against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in 2020. Pilot was subsequently dismissed as the state’s Deputy Chief Minister and Rajasthan Congress President. The party’s high command had to step in to mitigate the crisis which ensued.

The former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister has been trying to get his MLAs and supporters accommodated in the state’s Cabinet and party posts.

However, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has so far resisted it. Gehlot has asserted that independent MLAs and others who supported him during Pilot’s revolt in 2020 cannot be neglected.

A senior party leader was quoted as saying, “There are nine vacancies, and Sachin wants seven berths for MLAs loyal to him. How can we tell the Chief Minister, who has an overwhelming majority in the legislature party, to be content with only two? Then there are 12 independents and MLAs who have come from the BSP. The state government’s stability will be at stake if we ignore them,” The Indian Express reported.

On the other hand, Pilot and his supporters claim that nothing has changed since last year and even though Congress leaders have reassured Pilot that efforts are on for a solution that pleases all, Pilot is troubled that the kind of attention Captain Amarinder Singh and Navjot Sidhu’s feud received is not being extended to his demands.

AICC General Secretary incharge of Rajasthan Ajay Maken was quoted as saying, “We will settle all the issues amicably. The hopes and aspirations of all the people will be addressed and taken care of.”

(With inputs from The Indian Express)