NEW DELHI: The Congress will have no alliance with the BSP for the Rajasthan polls, state unit chief Sachin Pilot said. “No discussion has taken place on having an alliance with BSP here. We have won in the past and we are well placed to win again,” Pilot told Express. Unlike Madhya Pradesh, where Congress managers are negotiating an alliance with the BSP, and Chhattisgarh where a similar pact cannot be ruled out, the party may go alone in Rajasthan.
The Congress’ desperation to rally forces against the BJP seems to be more in MP and Chhattisgarh, where it is out of power for the past 14 years, than in Rajasthan, where the party suffered one of its worst electoral losses since Independence.
“Those were challenging times, we could win just 21 of the 200 seats in the assembly. But, we have come a along way since then,” said Pilot, who was applauded for the Lok Sabha bypoll victories in Alwar and Ajmer and the Mandalgarh assembly by-election. “We have worked hard on the ground and gaps in party organisation covered.” While the Congress is confident of winning the polls without the BSP, it will still not project a chief ministerial face to avoid infighting. “There will be no CM face. The elected MLAs will decide on who will be their leader after the polls.”
Pilot rejected reports that the camps of ex-CM Ashok Gehlot and former Union minister CP Joshi were, at times, working at cross purposes and claimed there was no infighting in the state unit. “I have been a very fortunate PCC chief who received support from all the senior leaders,” said Pilot. “People want change. It will start from the assembly polls and continue in the general elections. We will do well,” the Congress leader said.
He slammed Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, saying her dictatorial attitude had even put the BJP leaders off and made the ministers redundant.“No ministers are stake holders in the government as Raje controls everything. She remained elusive to the voters over the past four years but now the people don’t want to see her.” The Congress leader alleged the BJP was a divided house and cited no decision over appointment of a state unit chief since April 16, as a case in point. Farmer suicides, corruption, mining scam and Dalit atrocities were issues that the Congress will flag to attack the Raje government, he added.