Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on him and the Gujjar community saying that the BJP resorts to caste or religious politics to create distractions whenever they stumble or feel they won't get the majority in the elections.
"Whenever BJP feels that they are stumbling and they are not going to get majority and they will lose, they say things like this to create distractions. But public understands everything...I am satisfied that we will get good results on 3rd December," he said to news agency ANI.
Pilot further said that caste politics is not a sign of healthy democracy. "Eight crore people live in Rajasthan. When a government is formed, there is the support of everyone - be it the farmers, youth, forward or the backward. I think caste politics or religious politics is not a healthy sign for a democracy. We should set an example for the next generation," he added.
{{/usCountry}}Pilot further said that caste politics is not a sign of healthy democracy. "Eight crore people live in Rajasthan. When a government is formed, there is the support of everyone - be it the farmers, youth, forward or the backward. I think caste politics or religious politics is not a healthy sign for a democracy. We should set an example for the next generation," he added.
{{/usCountry}}On being discussed during BJP's and Congress' Rajasthan poll campaigning, Pilot said that discussions in elections should be based on developmental issues and planning for the future.
"Discussions do take place in elections. What is the fun in elections if there are no discussions? But I say again and again that whatever is the discussion, speech and campaign - they all should be based on developmental issues, planning for the future, your report card. If we give priority to public issues, a good narrative builds for the elections," Pilot said.
The Congress leader further took a dig at the BJP saying that the saffron party tried to rake emotional issues but it didn't pick up pace.
"BJP tried to personalise it and tried to rake emotional issues but I think their campaign didn't pick up pace. Public has made up their mind, the voting tomorrow will be held in favour of Congress," he said.
Earlier in the day, Rajasthan chief minister Asohk Gehlot shared a video message of Pilot urging people to vote for his party in the upcoming assembly election, putting to rest speculations of an intra-party dispute between both the senior leaders in the state.
Meanwhile, PM Modi during the campaigning in the desert state took an indirect dig at Gehlot and Pilot over the power tussle between them.
“In cricket, a batter comes and scores runs for his team. But there is so much infighting within the Congress that instead of scoring runs, its leaders spent five years trying to run out each other,” the PM had said.
Rajasthan witnessed a political crisis after Pilot with 18 of his faithful MLAs camped in Delhi and Haryana which led Gehlot to fire him from the second-in-command's position. The political blame game ensued. While Gehlot alleged Pilot camp of conspiring with the BJP to destabilise his government, the other side responded with their set of allegations.
Polling in 199 out of 200 assembly constituencies in Rajasthan will take place on Saturday and counting will be held on December 3.