With the Congress back to putting out flames in Rajasthan as tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy - Sachin Pilot - resurfaces, the BJP is not letting go of the opportunity to take a swipe at the rival party. On Thursday, the Rajasthan Chief Minister - who had to take back his candidature in the Congress presidential polls weeks ago - stirred the hornet’s nest yet again with his comments on Sachin Pilot.
Speaking to NDTV, Gehlot called Pilot a traitor (gaddar) as he levelled explosive allegations about the 2020 revolt by Pilot. “A gaddar (traitor) cannot be the chief minister... the Congress high command cannot make Sachin Pilot the chief minister... a man who doesn't have 10 MLAs. Who revolted. He betrayed the party, (he) is a traitor," he said, further adding that he has “proof” that “ ₹10 crore each were distributed to the MLAs holed up in a Gurugram resort for toppling the government” about two years ago.
Hours later, Pilot rebuffed the claims as he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI: “Ashok Gehlot called me nakara, gaddar... they are baseless allegations. There is no need for it”. He further added that the grand old party’s priority should be to win polls in Rajasthan again. The state goes to polls next year.
Rajasthan is one of the last held states by the Congress, which is conducting a massive Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in a bid to regain the lost electoral base after back-to-back defeats over the years. But Gehlot’s latest remarks have yet again laid bare the internal rifts and this may cause trouble for the party. The senior Congress leader had withdrawn his candidature from the grand old party’s presidential elections in September amid revolt by his supporters over speculation that Pilot might be his successor.
{{/usCountry}}Rajasthan is one of the last held states by the Congress, which is conducting a massive Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in a bid to regain the lost electoral base after back-to-back defeats over the years. But Gehlot’s latest remarks have yet again laid bare the internal rifts and this may cause trouble for the party. The senior Congress leader had withdrawn his candidature from the grand old party’s presidential elections in September amid revolt by his supporters over speculation that Pilot might be his successor.
{{/usCountry}}Now, the BJP and its leaders have - as expected - latched on to the controversy. In a tweet, roughly translated from Hindi, the Rajasthan unit of the party wrote: “They have will be able to take a stock of state’s affairs only when they get time from internal tussles.”
Satish Poonia, the BJP’s Rajasthan unit chief, took a one-word jibe as he shared the video of the interview: “Gaddar (traitor)”.
The Congress, meanwhile, has acknowledge the latest flare-up as the party’s communications-in-charge Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday: "Shri Ashok Gehlot is a senior and experienced political leader. Whatever differences he has expressed with his younger colleague Shri Sachin Pilot will be resolved in a manner that strengthens the Congress Party".
(With inputs from ANI)