JAIPUR: Tensions between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his Deputy CM Sachin Pilot are now being reflected in the Rajasthan Assembly.
With most ministers absent or silent, Pilot had to face a tough time in the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.
As Pilot battled almost single-handedly in the Assembly, the opposition BJP got an opportunity to make fun of the rift between the two Congress superstars of Rajasthan.
The issue erupted in the state assembly during the ongoing budget session when Pilot was responding to the debate on Budget demands on Tuesday.
Strangely, most senior ministers of the Gehlot government, except Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas who is a known Pilot supporter, were missing when the Dy Chief Minister spoke in the Vidhan Sabha.
Not just ministers, even many Congress MLAs were missing though it is usually a convention that all party legislators remain present in the house whenever the CM or Dy CM speaks in the Assembly.
Seeing the treasury benches in disarray, the opposition BJP did not lose the opportunity to make fun of Sachin Pilot. Several BJP MLAs asked the Speaker to give a ruling that Congress MLAs should remain present when Pilot speaks in the house.
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore quipped: “ The Congress has left Sachin Pilot alone,” and he even offered a helping hand to Pilot: “ If the Congress party is not giving you any support, we in the Opposition are willing to support you.”
Sachin was quick to retort that he was quite capable of handling them alone: “ I would like to tell all Honourable Members that I alone am enough to tackle all situations.”
Though Pilot sat down after making this comment, BJP leaders continued to poke fun at him. BJP MLA Ashok Lahoty quickly quipped: “ We too had similar delusions before the last Assembly elections.” And Dy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathod once again repeated: “ It seems that eventually, we in the opposition will have to support you.”
Sachin Pilot has been facing a rough time in the Assembly ever since Ashok Gehlot said, without naming Pilot, that those who had no claim to be CM were also keen to be in the Chief Ministerial race in the state.
Gehlot had even claimed that he was the natural choice all across Rajasthan and that is why Rahul Gandhi had picked him to be the CM.