News Analysis India

Tag: Sachin Pilot

  • ‘West Bengal, Haryana, and Rajasthan Rejected BJP,’ Says Congress Leader Sachin Pilot |

    New Delhi: In the Lok Sabha election 2024, the BJP-led NDA alliance fell short of gaining the expected numbers after which Congress leader Sachin Pilot said that states like West Bengal, Haryana, and Rajasthan rejected BJP. The Pilot alleged that the people didn’t like the BJP’s narrative of “Mandir-Masjid” and “Hindu-Muslim”.

    “The states in which the BJP expected to increase its numbers, like West Bengal, Haryana and Rajasthan, the people have rejected them there… The issues we brought up were liked by the people… Our narrative was optimistic, BJP’s narrative was Mandir-Masjid, Hindu-Muslim and Mangalsutra. The people may have not liked it,” Pilot said while talking to ANI.

    Responding to the party’s further strategies, the Congress leader said that the alliance has to make the political decisions.
     
    “The public has given a clear message to the ruling party that the kind of governance they were giving, is not acceptable and that is why their total tally has dropped to 60 to 65 seats. It’s a political message from the public through EVM and BJP should introspect this,” he further added. 

    The final count for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections concluded on June 3, BJP secured 240, far fewer than had been expected, while, Congress secured 99 seats which is the highest tally since the 2014 Lok Sabha Election.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured a third term but this time BJP will need the support of other parties like JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP’s chief Chandrababu Naidu to reach the majority mark and form a government.

  • Milind Deora Episode Shows Congress Party’s Disregard For Young Leaders |

    January 14 was to be a big day for Congress as Rahul Gandhi started his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur. However, the day was eclipsed by Milind Deora’s surprising decision to quit Congress. Deora severed his family’s five decades-old ties with the party. While Deora reportedly quit over the Mumbai South seat that Congress agreed to give to Shiv Sena-UBT, his move to quit Congress shows the grand old party’s disregard for young and dynamic leaders. The picture that you are seeing above is a testament to this. This photo has five leaders – Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora, Jitin Prasada, RPN Singh, and Jyotiraditya Scindia. Except for ‘disgruntled’ Pilot, all the four leaders have left the Congress party to join the BJP or NDA allies. Let’s take a look at the timeline when key leaders quit Congress:

    11 March 2020: Scindia

    The big shock for Congress came in 2020 when Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned and joined the BJP. Once among Rahul Gandhi’s closest aides, Scindia’s move led to the fall of the Kamal Nath Government in the state. According to reports, Scindia was not happy after being sidelined for Kamal Nath by the party. Scindia not only ended his 18-year association with the Congress but also laid the ground for keeping Congress in opposition in the state. He was also among those few Congress leaders who supported the Modi government’s move to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

    9 June 2021: Jitin Prasada

    A year later, another man pictured in this photo left Congress. He was the senior Congress leader and former Union minister Jitin Prasada. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Prasada was among the G-23 leaders who raised their voices demanding overhauling of the party organisation.

    25 January 2022: RPN Singh

    Months later, former MP from Kushinagar and former union minister RPN Singh joined the BJP. It was a setback for the Congress as Singh was also the party’s in-charge for Jharkhand affairs.

    Sachin Pilot And Himanta Sarma

    Despite being upset with the party leadership, Sachin Pilot has so far kept his cards close to his chest. Just like Scindia faced Kamal Nath, Pilot has been upset with Ashok Gehlot. However, it all started in August 2015 when Himanta Biswa Sarma, a dynamic leader from Assam, left Congress and joined the BJP after being ignored by Tarun Gogoi, then CM of Assam. In all these three cases, Congress opted to stick with its senior guards like Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot and Tarun Gogoi. While it lost Sarma and Scindia, the party has been on its toes to keep Pilot in its flock. Today, Congress has lost ground in Assam, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. It has lost connection with people in Uttar Pradesh from where RPN Singh and Jitina Prasada belong. 

    These are some of the many instances of young leaders deserting Congress. In June 2022, Hardik Patel had left Congress to join the BJP in Gujarat. In December 2022, the BJP had formally inducted former Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergil. This shows that the Congress party is not ready to accept the young leaders taking charge. It might be a fear factor within Congress that a rise of young leaders may challenge the authority of Rahul Gandhi.  When Shashi Tharoor filed for the Congress president post, the Gandhi family indirectly backed veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge who would not make any radical change in the organisation without the approval of the Gandhi family. 

    On the other hand, the BJP is not wary of giving reigns in the hands of young leaders. Today, Scindia is looking after the Union Aviation Ministry while comparatively younger faces were given CM posts in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma has ensured two straight terms for the BJP.

  • “This action is inappropriate”: Sachin Pilot hits out at BJP over suspension of MPs

    After the suspension of 143 MPs from Parliament, Congress leader Sachin Pilot hit out at the BJP and asked if the opposition did not have the right to put forward its view.

    “The issue is that they are suspending the MPs. They are making different headlines…Does the Opposition not have the right to put forward its view? This action is inappropriate,” Sachin Pilot told reporters.

    A total of 143 MPs–97 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha–have been suspended so far for creating a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in both Houses, demanding a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah about the Parliament security breach incident. Amid the controversy over the mimicry incident of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday asked for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response over insulting his political opponents in the last 20 years and said that BJP leaders are fuelling the mimicry row to divert attention from real issues.

    The remarks came after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday revealed the details of his telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Modi, where the latter mentioned that he had been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting.

    In this regard, Jairam Ramesh shared a video on X (former Twitter) where PM Modi is targetting senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.”The Prime Minister has said that he has been suffering insults for the last twenty years. But what will he say about the way he has insulted his political opponents and used abusive and indecent language against them in the last 20 years? This is their cliched way of diverting attention from the real issue,” Jairam Ramesh posted on X, roughly translated from Hindi. The controversy erupted after suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, during the protest with other suspended MPs at Parliament’s Makar Dwar, was seen mimicking Vice Presiden Jagdeep Dhankhar, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen filming the Trinamool MP using his phone.

    Hitting out at the media for not discussing the suspension of members extensively, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the media is entirely focused on showing the mimicry incident and not highlighting the pain and agony of the suspended MPs, adding that what can be done if the “media is running on one line”.

    Addressing reporters in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said, “MPs were sitting there, I shot their video. My video is on my phone. The media is showing it. Nobody has said anything.150 of our MPs have been thrown out (of the House) but there is no discussion on that in the media. There is no discussion on Adani, no discussion on Rafale, no discussion on unemployment.”

  • After years of discord, Pilot, Gehlot bonhomie ahead of polls in Rajasthan

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: In the lead-up to the imminent assembly elections in Rajasthan, a sense of unity has emerged within the divided ranks of the Congress party.  

    The protracted tussle between former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot, and CM Ashok Gehlot, which had persisted for the past four years, is now showing signs of abatement. 

    This significant shift in dynamics has become increasingly evident following Pilot’s recent inclusion in the CWC committee.  

    A notable outcome of this reconciliation has been the prominent appearance of Gehlot’s image across Pilot’s social media accounts, as well as on promotional materials related to Pilot’s initiatives. 

    Conversely, Gehlot has also taken to social media platforms to express his protest against comments made by the BJP concerning Sachin’s father, Rajesh Pilot.

    This newfound amicability between Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Gehlot holds the potential to reshape the landscape of the upcoming assembly elections.

    JAIPUR: In the lead-up to the imminent assembly elections in Rajasthan, a sense of unity has emerged within the divided ranks of the Congress party.  

    The protracted tussle between former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot, and CM Ashok Gehlot, which had persisted for the past four years, is now showing signs of abatement. 

    This significant shift in dynamics has become increasingly evident following Pilot’s recent inclusion in the CWC committee.  googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    A notable outcome of this reconciliation has been the prominent appearance of Gehlot’s image across Pilot’s social media accounts, as well as on promotional materials related to Pilot’s initiatives. 

    Conversely, Gehlot has also taken to social media platforms to express his protest against comments made by the BJP concerning Sachin’s father, Rajesh Pilot.

    This newfound amicability between Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Gehlot holds the potential to reshape the landscape of the upcoming assembly elections.

  • Kharge reconstitutes CWC, Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot included in new team

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday reconstituted the party’s top decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

    While 39 members of the all-important panel are general members, it has 32 permanent invitees, including some in-charges of state and 13 special invitees, including presidents of the Youth Congress, the National Students’ Union of India, the Mahila Congress and the Seva Dal as ex-officio members.

    Shashi Tharoor, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik, who were part of the group of 23 leaders that had raised questions on the party’s leadership under Sonia Gandhi, are among the general members of the new CWC.

    Manish Tewari and Veerappa Moily, who were also part of the grouping, have been made permanent invitees.

    Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Pratibha Singh have also been included in the important panel, according to a Congress statement.

    Sachin Pilot, who rebelled against the party’s government in Rajasthan and was later removed as deputy chief minister, is also among the new CWC members.

    The CWC was formed months after Kharge became the party president on October 10 last year and replaces the Steering Committee that was formed as a stop-gap arrangement.

    The general members of the CWC are Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, A K Antony, Ambika Soni, Meira Kumar, Digvijaya Singh, P Chidambaram, Tariq Anwar, Lal Thanhawala, Mukul Wasnik, Anand Sharma, Adhokrao Chavan, Ajay Maken, Charanjit Singh Channi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Kumari Selja, the statement said.

    Gaikhangam, N Raghuveera Reddy, Shashi Tharoor, Tamradhwaj Sahu, Abhishek Singhvi, Salman Khurshid, Jairam Ramesh, Jitendra Singh, Randeep Surjewala, Sachin Pilot, Deepak Babaria, Jagdish Thakore, G S Mir, Avinash Pande, Deepa Das Munshi, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, Gourav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, Kamaleshwar Patel and K C Venugopal are also members.

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday reconstituted the party’s top decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

    While 39 members of the all-important panel are general members, it has 32 permanent invitees, including some in-charges of state and 13 special invitees, including presidents of the Youth Congress, the National Students’ Union of India, the Mahila Congress and the Seva Dal as ex-officio members.

    Shashi Tharoor, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik, who were part of the group of 23 leaders that had raised questions on the party’s leadership under Sonia Gandhi, are among the general members of the new CWC.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Manish Tewari and Veerappa Moily, who were also part of the grouping, have been made permanent invitees.

    Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Pratibha Singh have also been included in the important panel, according to a Congress statement.

    Sachin Pilot, who rebelled against the party’s government in Rajasthan and was later removed as deputy chief minister, is also among the new CWC members.

    The CWC was formed months after Kharge became the party president on October 10 last year and replaces the Steering Committee that was formed as a stop-gap arrangement.

    The general members of the CWC are Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, A K Antony, Ambika Soni, Meira Kumar, Digvijaya Singh, P Chidambaram, Tariq Anwar, Lal Thanhawala, Mukul Wasnik, Anand Sharma, Adhokrao Chavan, Ajay Maken, Charanjit Singh Channi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Kumari Selja, the statement said.

    Gaikhangam, N Raghuveera Reddy, Shashi Tharoor, Tamradhwaj Sahu, Abhishek Singhvi, Salman Khurshid, Jairam Ramesh, Jitendra Singh, Randeep Surjewala, Sachin Pilot, Deepak Babaria, Jagdish Thakore, G S Mir, Avinash Pande, Deepa Das Munshi, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, Gourav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, Kamaleshwar Patel and K C Venugopal are also members.

  • ‘Wrong facts’: Sachin Pilot calls out Amit Malviya for lying that his father Rajesh ‘bombed Mizoram’

    By Online Desk

    Congress leader Sachin Pilot fact-checked BJP’s IT department in-charge Amit Malviya on Tuesday after the latter attempted to spread disinformation over the 1966 IAF bombings in Mizoram. 

    The issue stems from Malviya’s claim that Sachin’s father Rajesh Pilot had “dropped bombs” as an air force pilot in the northeast state on March 5, 1966 — which was rebuked by the Congress leader.

    In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Malviya had claimed that Rajesh Pilot and Suresh Kalmadi were flying the Indian Air Force planes that bombed Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram.

    “Later both became MPs on Congress tickets and ministers in the government. It is clear that Indira Gandhi gave a place in politics as a reward, gave respect to those who carried out air raids on their own people in the Northeast,” Malviya had said in the post in Hindi.

    In response, Pilot called out Malviya’s lies saying the facts and dates are wrong as his father was commissioned into the force only in October of that. He also shared a certificate that shows Rajesh Pilot had been commissioned in the Indian Air Force on October 29, 1966 — nearly eight months after the bombings.

    “@amitmalviya You have the wrong dates, wrong facts. Yes, as an Indian Air Force pilot, my late father did drop bombs. But that was in erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and not as you claim, on Mizoram on the 5th of March 1966. He was commissioned into the IAF only on 29th October 1966! (Certificate attached). Jai hind and a happy Independence Day,” Pilot wrote back on X.

    .@amitmalviya – You have the wrong dates, wrong facts…Yes, as an Indian Air Force pilot, my late father did drop bombs. But that was on erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and not as you claim, on Mizoram on the 5th of March 1966.He was commissioned into the… https://t.co/JfexDbczfk pic.twitter.com/Lpe1GL1NLB

    — Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) August 15, 2023

    While Suresh Kalmadi did serve in the IAF  between 1964 and 1972, Malviya’s claim alleging the former Union minister’s involvement in the Aizawl bombings is unsubstantiated. In fact, there are no records under the air force database or the Gazette of India that conclusively shows whether Kalmadi piloted the Toofani fighters (Dassault Ouragan) which had been used in the Aizwal bombings. 

    Notably, the Congress last week hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his criticism of then PM Indira Gandhi’s decision to use the Indian Air Force in Mizoram in 1966, saying he “twisted decisions” taken by his predecessors out of their political and historical context to score “petty debating points.”

    Responding to the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, Modi had referred to the Aizawl bombings saying incidents such as the use of the Air Force to “attack the people in Mizoram” had shown the Congress party’s “neglect” for the region.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

    Congress leader Sachin Pilot fact-checked BJP’s IT department in-charge Amit Malviya on Tuesday after the latter attempted to spread disinformation over the 1966 IAF bombings in Mizoram. 

    The issue stems from Malviya’s claim that Sachin’s father Rajesh Pilot had “dropped bombs” as an air force pilot in the northeast state on March 5, 1966 — which was rebuked by the Congress leader.

    In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Malviya had claimed that Rajesh Pilot and Suresh Kalmadi were flying the Indian Air Force planes that bombed Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Later both became MPs on Congress tickets and ministers in the government. It is clear that Indira Gandhi gave a place in politics as a reward, gave respect to those who carried out air raids on their own people in the Northeast,” Malviya had said in the post in Hindi.

    In response, Pilot called out Malviya’s lies saying the facts and dates are wrong as his father was commissioned into the force only in October of that. He also shared a certificate that shows Rajesh Pilot had been commissioned in the Indian Air Force on October 29, 1966 — nearly eight months after the bombings.

    “@amitmalviya You have the wrong dates, wrong facts. Yes, as an Indian Air Force pilot, my late father did drop bombs. But that was in erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and not as you claim, on Mizoram on the 5th of March 1966. He was commissioned into the IAF only on 29th October 1966! (Certificate attached). Jai hind and a happy Independence Day,” Pilot wrote back on X.

    .@amitmalviya – You have the wrong dates, wrong facts…
    Yes, as an Indian Air Force pilot, my late father did drop bombs. But that was on erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and not as you claim, on Mizoram on the 5th of March 1966.
    He was commissioned into the… https://t.co/JfexDbczfk pic.twitter.com/Lpe1GL1NLB

    — Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) August 15, 2023

    While Suresh Kalmadi did serve in the IAF  between 1964 and 1972, Malviya’s claim alleging the former Union minister’s involvement in the Aizawl bombings is unsubstantiated. In fact, there are no records under the air force database or the Gazette of India that conclusively shows whether Kalmadi piloted the Toofani fighters (Dassault Ouragan) which had been used in the Aizwal bombings. 

    Notably, the Congress last week hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his criticism of then PM Indira Gandhi’s decision to use the Indian Air Force in Mizoram in 1966, saying he “twisted decisions” taken by his predecessors out of their political and historical context to score “petty debating points.”

    Responding to the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, Modi had referred to the Aizawl bombings saying incidents such as the use of the Air Force to “attack the people in Mizoram” had shown the Congress party’s “neglect” for the region.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

  • Congress rejects reports of Sachin Pilot floating new party in lead up to Rajasthan polls

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Congress general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of dissident leader Sachin Pilot floating a new party.

    Randhawa, who reached Jaipur in the evening, also said that the party will assign responsibilities to Rajasthan leaders according to their stature.

    “I am hearing this from you, I think there is no such thing. He (Pilot) did not have this in his mind before and does not have it now,” he told reporters when asked about speculations of the formation of a new party by Pilot.

    Randhawa also said it is the media which is raising the issue. He reiterated that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had recently talked to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Delhi in which both the Rajasthan leaders “agreed to work unitedly.”

    “Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi listened to both of them carefully and both were told that they are the assets of the Congress…Both said that they will work together,” he said.

    Randhawa said that 90 per cent of the matter was resolved and the rest was also not an issue.

    When asked about the “formula” to broker peace between Gehlot and Pilot, Randhawa said he will not share it with the media.  However, he said that both Gehlot and Pilot know about the formula.

    On the party’s plan to give responsibility to Pilot, Randhawa said, “We will definitely do it for everyone and will decide the responsibility of leaders according to their stature.”

    Gehlot and his former deputy Pilot have been engaged in a power tussle since the Congress formed government in Rajasthan in 2018 and the party is seeking to broker peace between the two ahead of the assembly elections in the state, slated for later this year.

    There is intense speculation that Pilot may give a clear indication on his way forward on June 11 when he marks his father’s death anniversary in Dausa.

    JAIPUR: Congress general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of dissident leader Sachin Pilot floating a new party.

    Randhawa, who reached Jaipur in the evening, also said that the party will assign responsibilities to Rajasthan leaders according to their stature.

    “I am hearing this from you, I think there is no such thing. He (Pilot) did not have this in his mind before and does not have it now,” he told reporters when asked about speculations of the formation of a new party by Pilot.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Randhawa also said it is the media which is raising the issue. He reiterated that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had recently talked to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Delhi in which both the Rajasthan leaders “agreed to work unitedly.”

    “Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi listened to both of them carefully and both were told that they are the assets of the Congress…Both said that they will work together,” he said.

    Randhawa said that 90 per cent of the matter was resolved and the rest was also not an issue.

    When asked about the “formula” to broker peace between Gehlot and Pilot, Randhawa said he will not share it with the media.  However, he said that both Gehlot and Pilot know about the formula.

    On the party’s plan to give responsibility to Pilot, Randhawa said, “We will definitely do it for everyone and will decide the responsibility of leaders according to their stature.”

    Gehlot and his former deputy Pilot have been engaged in a power tussle since the Congress formed government in Rajasthan in 2018 and the party is seeking to broker peace between the two ahead of the assembly elections in the state, slated for later this year.

    There is intense speculation that Pilot may give a clear indication on his way forward on June 11 when he marks his father’s death anniversary in Dausa.

  • Rajasthan tussle: Pilot says won t compromise on his demands from Gehlot government

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR:  Two days after a reconciliation meeting at Congress chief Mallikarjan Kharge’s house, Sachin Pilot’s attitude towards his demands is unchanged. He made it clear that there will be no compromise on the three demands that he placed at the conclusion of his padayatra on May 15.

    The three demands are: Students who suffered during the competitive exam on account of the paper leak should be compensated with financial assistance, the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) should be dissolved and reoriented to secure the future of the youth and a high-level probe instituted on alleged graft cases during former chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s tenure.

    Pilot reminded the Gehlot government of the ultimatum, saying that the commitments made to the youth on a public platform are not hot air. It was expected that the party leadership’s efforts in Delhi to bring about peace in the Rajasthan Congress will begin to manifest in the statements and body language of CM Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot. During his one-day visit to his constituency Tonk on Wednesday, Pilot seemed to lack the aggressive attitude he showed in the past few months.

    “I want to say there was loot during the BJP rule. It is about getting justice for the youth. It is not possible to compromise on that. I hope that what I said on May 15, the government will act on them soon. I am waiting,” he said.

    On Monday, Gehlot and Pilot were brought together in the presence of Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary KC Venugopal. However, no public announcement was made on a specific formula.

    JAIPUR:  Two days after a reconciliation meeting at Congress chief Mallikarjan Kharge’s house, Sachin Pilot’s attitude towards his demands is unchanged. He made it clear that there will be no compromise on the three demands that he placed at the conclusion of his padayatra on May 15.

    The three demands are: Students who suffered during the competitive exam on account of the paper leak should be compensated with financial assistance, the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) should be dissolved and reoriented to secure the future of the youth and a high-level probe instituted on alleged graft cases during former chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s tenure.

    Pilot reminded the Gehlot government of the ultimatum, saying that the commitments made to the youth on a public platform are not hot air. It was expected that the party leadership’s efforts in Delhi to bring about peace in the Rajasthan Congress will begin to manifest in the statements and body language of CM Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot. During his one-day visit to his constituency Tonk on Wednesday, Pilot seemed to lack the aggressive attitude he showed in the past few months.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “I want to say there was loot during the BJP rule. It is about getting justice for the youth. It is not possible to compromise on that. I hope that what I said on May 15, the government will act on them soon. I am waiting,” he said.

    On Monday, Gehlot and Pilot were brought together in the presence of Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and party 
    general secretary KC Venugopal. However, no public announcement was made on a specific formula.

  • Congress projects unity in Rajasthan, says Gehlot, Pilot will fight assembly poll together

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Amid a festering leadership tussle in the Congress’ Rajasthan unit, the party Monday said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot have agreed to fight the upcoming assembly elections unitedly and have left all issues to be resolved by the party high command.

    Top Congress leadership led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi held marathon discussions with Gehlot and Pilot joined them later in the evening.

    The Congress’ in-charge of state affairs Sukhjinder Randhawa was also present at the meeting.

    The party sought to project that all was fine in its Rajasthan unit with sources claiming that the party has worked out a formula for both the state leaders to work together and fight the assembly elections unitedly.

    Addressing reporters after the meeting at Kharge’s 10, Rajaji Marg, residence, party general secretary K C Venugopal said both the leaders held lengthy discussions with Kharge and Gandhi about the upcoming Rajasthan election.

    “We have decided to fight the election unitedly. Both are in agreement that the Congress party has to work together and definitely we will win the election in Rajasthan,” he said, flanked by Gehlot and Pilot.

    “It is very clear that Rajasthan is going to be a strong state for the Congress party. We are going to win. Therefore, both Gehlot ji and Sachin ji have decided to go together. The Congress party will fight elections unitedly,” Venugopal said.

    “Both the leaders Ashok ji and Sachin ji agreed to the proposal on these things,” he also said.

    Asked what proposal he was talking out, Venugopal said, “Both have left it to the (party) high command. The high command will take the decision and both have agreed.”

    On what formula has been decided, he said, “We decided that both the leaders have agreed to go together and it will be a joint fight against the BJP. We will win the state.”

    Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh later tweeted, “The Congress party is well on its way to repeating its Karnataka success in Rajasthan as well.”

    Later in a tweet, Venugopal said, “Our team in Rajasthan will unitedly fight the 2023 elections and break the decades-long tradition of alternating governments by registering a thumping victory!”

    Pilot has been attacking the Gehlot government over the issue of inaction on alleged corruption during the previous BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje and has been vocal against his own party’s chief minister. This was the first time after a long gap that the Rajasthan chief minister and his former deputy met face-to-face in the presence of top party leadership.

    Kharge and Gandhi are holding parleys with leaders of poll-bound states to evolve the party’s strategy for the assembly elections and corner the BJP.

    The party leadership is also working hard to resolve the infighting in the Rajasthan unit ahead of assembly polls and set at rest the differences between the two leaders.

    The Congress top brass held discussions with top party leaders from Madhya Pradesh in the morning, after which Gandhi said the party would win 150 seats in the state.

    The meeting comes close on the heels of Pilot’s “ultimatum” that if three demands he made from the state government were not met by the end of this month, he would launch a state-wide agitation.

    One of Pilot’s demands was initiating a high-level inquiry into the alleged scams during the Vasundhara Raje government.

    Speaking to reporters earlier, Gehlot said there is no such tradition in the party to offer posts to any leader in order to pacify him.

    “As far as I know, there is no such tradition in the Congress where any leader demands something and the party high command offers to give that position. We have not heard of such a formula ever,” he said when asked about reports of a formula being worked out to rope in Pilot.

    Rubbishing such reports, he said, “Never has such a thing happened in the Congress so far and neither will it happen in the future. The Congress party and the high command are very strong and no leader or worker has the courage to demand any position. It does not happen like that.”

    Gehlot and Pilot have been engaged in a power tussle since the Congress formed government in the state in 2018.

    In 2020, Pilot led a failed revolt against the Gehlot government after which he was removed from the posts of the party’s state unit president and deputy chief minister.

    Pilot had last month defied a warning from the party and went ahead with a day-long fast targeting Gehlot over his “inaction” on alleged corruption during the previous Raje government.

    NEW DELHI: Amid a festering leadership tussle in the Congress’ Rajasthan unit, the party Monday said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot have agreed to fight the upcoming assembly elections unitedly and have left all issues to be resolved by the party high command.

    Top Congress leadership led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi held marathon discussions with Gehlot and Pilot joined them later in the evening.

    The Congress’ in-charge of state affairs Sukhjinder Randhawa was also present at the meeting.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The party sought to project that all was fine in its Rajasthan unit with sources claiming that the party has worked out a formula for both the state leaders to work together and fight the assembly elections unitedly.

    Addressing reporters after the meeting at Kharge’s 10, Rajaji Marg, residence, party general secretary K C Venugopal said both the leaders held lengthy discussions with Kharge and Gandhi about the upcoming Rajasthan election.

    “We have decided to fight the election unitedly. Both are in agreement that the Congress party has to work together and definitely we will win the election in Rajasthan,” he said, flanked by Gehlot and Pilot.

    “It is very clear that Rajasthan is going to be a strong state for the Congress party. We are going to win. Therefore, both Gehlot ji and Sachin ji have decided to go together. The Congress party will fight elections unitedly,” Venugopal said.

    “Both the leaders Ashok ji and Sachin ji agreed to the proposal on these things,” he also said.

    Asked what proposal he was talking out, Venugopal said, “Both have left it to the (party) high command. The high command will take the decision and both have agreed.”

    On what formula has been decided, he said, “We decided that both the leaders have agreed to go together and it will be a joint fight against the BJP. We will win the state.”

    Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh later tweeted, “The Congress party is well on its way to repeating its Karnataka success in Rajasthan as well.”

    Later in a tweet, Venugopal said, “Our team in Rajasthan will unitedly fight the 2023 elections and break the decades-long tradition of alternating governments by registering a thumping victory!”

    Pilot has been attacking the Gehlot government over the issue of inaction on alleged corruption during the previous BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje and has been vocal against his own party’s chief minister. This was the first time after a long gap that the Rajasthan chief minister and his former deputy met face-to-face in the presence of top party leadership.

    Kharge and Gandhi are holding parleys with leaders of poll-bound states to evolve the party’s strategy for the assembly elections and corner the BJP.

    The party leadership is also working hard to resolve the infighting in the Rajasthan unit ahead of assembly polls and set at rest the differences between the two leaders.

    The Congress top brass held discussions with top party leaders from Madhya Pradesh in the morning, after which Gandhi said the party would win 150 seats in the state.

    The meeting comes close on the heels of Pilot’s “ultimatum” that if three demands he made from the state government were not met by the end of this month, he would launch a state-wide agitation.

    One of Pilot’s demands was initiating a high-level inquiry into the alleged scams during the Vasundhara Raje government.

    Speaking to reporters earlier, Gehlot said there is no such tradition in the party to offer posts to any leader in order to pacify him.

    “As far as I know, there is no such tradition in the Congress where any leader demands something and the party high command offers to give that position. We have not heard of such a formula ever,” he said when asked about reports of a formula being worked out to rope in Pilot.

    Rubbishing such reports, he said, “Never has such a thing happened in the Congress so far and neither will it happen in the future. The Congress party and the high command are very strong and no leader or worker has the courage to demand any position. It does not happen like that.”

    Gehlot and Pilot have been engaged in a power tussle since the Congress formed government in the state in 2018.

    In 2020, Pilot led a failed revolt against the Gehlot government after which he was removed from the posts of the party’s state unit president and deputy chief minister.

    Pilot had last month defied a warning from the party and went ahead with a day-long fast targeting Gehlot over his “inaction” on alleged corruption during the previous Raje government.

  • Congress leaders from Madhya Pradesh meet Kharge over poll preparedness

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI Top Congress leaders from Madhya Pradesh on Monday met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge at the AICC headquarters here over the preparedness for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

    Sources said the meeting was attended by Rahul Gandhi, former chief minister Kamal Nath, among others.

    Kharge will also hold deliberations with party leaders from Rajasthan where Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot will be in attendance.

    Gehlot has already reached the national capital for the meet. These interactions will be attended by state unit chiefs as well as party in-charges of both the poll-bound states.

    #WATCH | When asked about various “formulae” being speculated around Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, CM Gehlot says, “Never in my life have I seen a tradition in Congress that a leader demands something or high command asks him what post he wants…High Command &… pic.twitter.com/f47AtCYVx7
    — ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2023
    These are also part of the Congress’ efforts to activate party cadres and prepare the ground for the assembly polls slated later this year.

    NEW DELHI Top Congress leaders from Madhya Pradesh on Monday met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge at the AICC headquarters here over the preparedness for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

    Sources said the meeting was attended by Rahul Gandhi, former chief minister Kamal Nath, among others.

    Kharge will also hold deliberations with party leaders from Rajasthan where Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot will be in attendance.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    Gehlot has already reached the national capital for the meet. These interactions will be attended by state unit chiefs as well as party in-charges of both the poll-bound states.

    #WATCH | When asked about various “formulae” being speculated around Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, CM Gehlot says, “Never in my life have I seen a tradition in Congress that a leader demands something or high command asks him what post he wants…High Command &… pic.twitter.com/f47AtCYVx7
    — ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2023
    These are also part of the Congress’ efforts to activate party cadres and prepare the ground for the assembly polls slated later this year.