Sachin Pilot has maintained an intriguing silence on the speculation.
Jaipur:
All eyes are on Rajasthan’s Dausa on Sunday as Sachin Pilot heads to his home turf for an event to mark the death anniversary of his father, Rajesh Pilot. A memorial service, like every year, will be held, with prayers at the statue of the late Mr Pilot and the unveiling of a new statue at a Gujjar hostel. The program is being eagerly watched over buzz that it could mark a new chapter in Rajasthan politics.
Mr Pilot’s supporters have denied speculation that he may launch a new party with six months to go for elections in Rajasthan. But the 45-year-old, who has been in a tussle with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, has maintained an intriguing silence on the issue, keeping everyone guessing about his next step.
The Congress party has sought to allay the rumours of a new party being launched, stating that they will fight the elections unitedly. Asked about the developments in Rajasthan, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “Our party president, and we surely feel there will be a positive solution to this issue.”
Congress General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal also dismissed rumours that Mr Pilot may announce his own party and asserted that the Congress will contest Rajasthan’s assembly polls unitedly.
“I don’t believe in rumours. The reality is that the Congress president and Rahul Gandhi discussed with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot and after that, we said that we will go together. That is the position of the Congress party,” Mr Venugopal told news agency PTI.
Both Mr Pilot and Mr Gehlot shared messages on Twitter, hailing Rajesh Pilot, without addressing the tension.
पूर्व केंद्रीय मंत्री और किसान नेता स्व. श्री राजेश पायलट की पुण्यतिथि पर श्रद्धांजलि। pic.twitter.com/KoLF3nEUHx
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 11, 2023
मेरे पूज्य पिताजी स्व. श्री राजेश पायलट जी की पुण्यतिथि पर उन्हें हृदय से नमन करता हूँ।
अपनी कर्मभूमि से उनका जुड़ाव, जनता से अपनेपन का रिश्ता एवं जनकल्याण के प्रति उनकी समर्पित कार्यशैली मेरे लिए मार्गदर्शक हैं।
उन्होंने जनहित को सर्वोपरि मानकर कभी भी अपने सिद्धांतों से समझौता… pic.twitter.com/wjglt81SKG
— Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) June 11, 2023
In a bid to defuse the tensions between its top leaders in Rajasthan in an election year, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi held marathon discussions with Mr Gehlot and Mr Pilot last week. After the meetings, the party announced that Mr Gehlot and Mr Pilot have agreed to fight the upcoming assembly elections unitedly and left all issues to be resolved by the party leadership.
Mr Gehlot and Mr Pilot have been engaged in a power tussle since the Congress formed government in the state in 2018. In 2020, Mr Pilot led a revolt against the Gehlot government, after which he was removed from the posts of the party’s state unit president and Deputy Chief Minister. The Congress leadership’s attempt last year to effect a leadership change in Rajasthan had failed after Mr Gehlot’s loyalists dug their heels in and did not allow a legislature party meeting to take place.
Sources close to Mr Pilot have claimed that he wants a resolution of the issues he has raised, especially his demand that the Ashok Gehlot government acts against alleged corruption during the previous BJP regime.
Mr Pilot is said to have taken a “principled position” and the issues of corruption and paper leaks are reportedly his top priorities. In addition to addressing corruption, Mr Pilot’s other demands include the reconstitution of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) and making fresh appointments to it, and compensation for those affected by the cancellation of government recruitment exams following paper leaks.