Sachin Pilot downplays 'rebellion' buzz; targets BJP for 'internal rift' in Rajasthan unit

Even as rumours swirl around his dissatisfaction with Congress, ex-Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot on Tuesday accused BJP of making useless statements. He was reacting to Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore who predicted the possibility of this resentment causing a big upheaval in the Rajasthan unit of Congress. However, the Tonk MLA advised Rathore to focus on his own party's dire condition in the state.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot remarked, "The internal rift and squabble is so rampant that BJP is not even able to play the role of the opposition in the state. The people will give a befitting reply to those who left them alone to deal with the crisis which was triggered by their failed policies". As per sources, Pilot has conveyed to the Congress high command that he and other MLAs belonging to his camp are being targeted and sidelined by Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot despite assurances from the Gandhis. 

While he returned to the Congress camp after a brief rebellion last year, the Tonk MLA was neither re-inducted into the Cabinet nor given any important position. Making his stance clear, Pilot has indicated that a divide in the party is imminent if no solution is found within a month's time, sources revealed. Moreover, sources also indicated that he is likely to hold a meeting with 18 MLAs supporting him in Jaipur on June 10.

Sachin Pilot's brief rebellion 

Sachin Pilot’s departure to Delhi with some of his supporting legislators on July 11, 2020, set off alarm bells in the Congress camp. Despite Pilot's insistence that he will not join BJP, the Congress party sacked him as the Deputy CM and the PCC chief on July 14. While the majority of the Congress MLAs were holed up in a Jaisalmer hotel, the legislators belonging to the Pilot camp stayed at an undisclosed location. With the commencement of the Rajasthan Assembly session on August 14, hectic parlays were on to ensure the stability of the Congress government. 

The efforts to ensure the stability of the Congress government bore fruit on August 10 when the Tonk MLA met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the national capital. In an official statement, Congress revealed that the ex-Rajasthan Deputy CM expressed his grievances in detail and held a frank, open, and conclusive discussion. Furthermore, he committed to working in the interest of the Congress party after a decision was taken to form the three-member committee to resolve the grievances of the MLAs belonging to his camp