The Gehlot government has denied Pilot’s allegations of inaction, leading to a public spectacle of the ruling Congress just months away from the assembly election.
The Congress has warned its Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot against going on fast today and called the move an “anti-party activity”. Pilot, however, is pressing on with his fast to demand the Ashok Gehlot government take action against those involved in corrupt practices in the previous BJP government. The Gehlot government has denied Pilot’s allegations of inaction, leading to a public spectacle of the ruling Congress just months away from the assembly election.
Congress warns Sachin Pilot of “Anti-Party Activity”
“Sachin Pilot’s day-long fast on Tuesday is against the party interests and is anti-party activity. If there is any issue with his own government, it can be discussed in the party forums instead of in the media and public,” the Congress’ Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said in a statement on Monday, in what is being seen as a final effort to de-escalate the friction between Pilot, who has been eyeing the Chief Minister’s post for a long time, and Gehlot, the current Chief Minister.
Pilot Demands Action Against Corrupt, Seen as Pressure on Congress Leadership
Though Pilot is demanding action against the corrupt, the latest confrontation with the Gehlot government is being seen as his attempt to put pressure on the Congress leadership to settle the issue of who will be the key face of the party in Rajasthan in an election year.
Pilot keeps no secret about what he wants and the Congress also knows it, which is why the party appears to be scrambling for damage control as Gehlot has a sizable number of loyalists. The Chief Minister was expected to run for the Congress president’s election last year, but he stayed on after a rebellion by more than 90 MLAs loyal to him demanded his continuity in power in Rajasthan.
Pilot denies that his latest move has anything to do with a leadership tussle, and says it is purely a call to act against the corrupt. But his message is not lost on the Gehlot camp in an election year.