Amid Congress’ claim that the party in Rajasthan is united, dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot may have decided to finally venture out and float a new party. Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot have been engaged in a power tussle since the Congress formed government in the state in 2018.
The former deputy CM has been demanding an investigation into corruption allegations against former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia and has called for action against corrupt officials.
Reports suggest that Pilot could announce a new party in Dausa on June 11, the death anniversary of his father Rajesh Pilot. Speculations are rife that Pilot has been meeting his loyalists for the same. However, Pilot has not made any formal announcements so far.
The grand old party appears to have settled to the fact that Pilot is likely to make some drastic measure. Any attemots to persuade him otherwise appear unlikely, especially after AICC general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh’s assertion that “the party is supreme”, after Pilot said he would continue to press for his demands for a probe into the allegations of corruption against the erstwhile Vasundhara Raje government.
The infighting in the Congress’s Rajasthan unit had escalated a few weeks ago with Pilot demanding action by the state government against “corruption”. In a bid to defuse the tensions, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had held marathon discussions with Gehlot and Pilot separately last Monday.
Asked about the leadership tussle in the Rajasthan unit, Ramesh said that on May 29, the Congress president met Chief Minister Gehlot, Pilot in the presence of Rahul Ghttps://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/video-under-construction-bridge-comes-crashing-down-in-bihar/3114017/andhi, general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, and general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and discussed all the issues at length.
The leaders stressed on unity, solidarity, and determination to fight the elections together, he said. They had later posed for photographs at Kharge’s 10 Rajaji Marg residence.
Venugopal had said, “Both the leaders Ashok ji and Sachin ji agreed to the proposal on these things.” Asked what proposal he was talking out, Venugopal had said, “Both have left it to the (party) high command.”
Even though, Gehlot has hinted at a truce, Pilot refuses to budge from his demands from the Gehlot government to act against corruption.
It is being speculated that Pilot could announce a new party in Dausa at a mega rally on June 11 , the death anniversary of his father Rajesh Pilot.
