The Congress seemingly faces an under current of yet another troubled phase as the Rajasthan Assembly Election draws close. The state polls are expected to take place towards the end of 2023. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy turned rebel Sachin Pilot seem to be locked in yet another tussle, requiring the Congress high command to interfere, yet again.
The Congress High Command summoned Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot for separate meetings with party president Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital on Monday.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday said the party high command is strong and it will never offer any position to any leader or worker to pacify him. “As far as I know, there is no such tradition in the Congress where any leader demands something and the party high command offers to give that position. We have not heard of such a formula ever,” he said when asked about reports of a formula being worked out to rope in Pilot.
“The Congress party is strong and there is such position that the high command offers to give any post to any leader to pacify any leader,” he said.
“Never has such a thing happened in the Congress so far and neither will it happen in the future. The Congress party and the high command is very strong and no leader or worker has the courage to demand any position. It does not happen like that,” the chief minister asserted.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other leaders arrived at Congress headquarters for a meeting with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot.
Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot have been engaged in a power tussle since 2020. Recently, Pilot undertook a five-day Jan Sangharsh Yatra, on the lines of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Pilot aimed to amp up their pressure on Gehlot government to take action against the ‘corruption’ alleged corruption of the previous BJP government led by former chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia.
Earlier on 15 May, Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Sachin Pilot gave an ultimatum to his own party’s government in Rajasthan to probe the alleged paper leak scam that happened during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule in the State.
In 2020, Pilot and 18 other MLAs revolted against the functioning of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot following which the Congress High Command decided to remove Pilot from the Deputy CM position.
The former Rajasthan deputy chief minister had also last month defied a warning from the party and went ahead with a day-long fast targeting Gehlot over his “inaction” on alleged corruption during the Raje government.
Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in Rajasthan later this year and the Congress party is seeking another term ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
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Updated: 29 May 2023, 03:35 PM IST