JAIPUR/NEW DELHI: A day after Sachin Pilot fasted, first for securing his grip over state Congress and then for reconnoitering the state political landscape, two significant things have appeared on the horizon: AAP or RLP door is open to him if Congress were to turn harsh, an indication for which was available in Delhi. The third, if at all that matters, is the silence that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot displayed to unburden himself.
Pilot’s apparent objective was to press for an inquiry into the scams of the previous Vasundhara Raje government of the BJP. Rashtriya Loktantrik Party chief and MP Hanuman Beniwal said if Sachin Pilot contests the assembly elections — due later this year — by forming his own party, then RLP could ally with him. “RLP is in a strong position in Shekhawati and Marwar regions. If Pilot comes with us, we will be strong contenders in east Rajasthan. We could even form the government,” said Beniwal said.
On the other hand, AAP will contest all 200 Assembly seats, but it does not have any strong local face to lead the party. AAP’s Rajasthan in-charge Vinay Mishra tweeted: “If anyone has looted Rajasthan today, it is the alliance of Vasundhara and Ashok Gehlot. As a result, Rajasthan has the highest debt of Rs 5 lakh crore in the country. Today an educated young man, Sachin Pilot, is exposing their alliance, so the people of Rajasthan should support him.”
On the day when Pilot left for Delhi, the state capital Jaipur on Wednesday saw CM Gehlot staying calm, not speaking a word on Pilot or the allegations that he has been making. The CM sought to assert that his focus was on Mission 2030, which is aimed at making Rajasthan economically the top state in the country.
In Delhi, the central leadership sent out a strong signal: it will not tolerate any anti-party activity and that “some action” will be taken against Pilot.
On Wednesday, Pilot reached Delhi seeking an audience with the top leadership. Though Pilot did not meet party chief Mallikarjun Kharge or any members of the Gandhi family, AICC Rajasthan in charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, told the media: “We should have acted earlier, but will act now”. The Congress leader also said that he will meet Kharge on Thursday morning and apprise him of the situation.
Expressing his displeasure over Pilot’s actions, Randhawa said that Pilot should have taken up the issue in the state Assembly before going public about it. “Though his concerns are valid, the way he took up the issue was wrong. Pilot should have taken it up during the assembly session. It was a better platform and he would have got the answer from the CM,” he said.
When asked about some past political tussles in Rajasthan, which caused embarrassment for the party, the leader said “Actions should have been taken earlier. But it didn’t happen. Now actions will be taken,” he said, adding he will discuss issues with Pilot on Thursday. “I am looking into all the events that happened in Jaipur. Without any bias, I will see if any wrong steps have been taken by both Pilot and the CM camp,” he said.
While Pilot’s move is largely being seen as a pressure tactic to solve the long pending demands for power-sharing, a senior leader told this newspaper that the high command might try to defuse the situation by offering him some important portfolio.