Ashok Gehlot | SachinPilot
Pilot calls PM Modi's praise for Rajasthan CM 'interesting', Gehlot says 'party discipline must'
After Sachin Pilot dubbed PM Modi's praise for Ashok Gehlot "interesting", the Rajasthan CM schooled him albeit indirectly, saying Congress leaders should "maintain discipline" and refrain from making political statements.
Pilot told reporters Wednesday that the prime minister's praise for Gehlot should not be taken lightly as "we all know what happened after he praised Gulam Nabi Azad".
He also urged the Congress High Command to punish those Rajasthan leaders, who boycotted the Congress legislature meeting in September to take part in a show of strength for Gehlot.
A few hours later, Gehlot reacted to Pilot’s statements, saying: "AICC general secretary KC Venugopal has asked [party leaders] not to put out statements. We, too, want all leaders to maintain discipline."
“The party's focus should be on retaining the government in Rajasthan. It is our objective to bring the Congress government back to power. We have given good governance and brought so many schemes into the state, which has never happened before. We have started working towards retaining the state on good governance,” he said.
Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads and bitter rivals for a long time.
The Rajasthan CM has ensured that his junior colleague does not helm the state. This he achieved by lobbying with the Gandhis in the past and recently at the cost of the post of Congress President, for which he was the favourite of the party's first family.
He had wanted to remain the CM of Rajasthan while serving as the Congress President. Since Congress has adopted the "one man, one post" policy and Rahul Gandhi asserted that the rule must be followed at all costs, Gehlot tried to place his proxy.
Fearing that his plan would fail and the party might make Sachin Pilot the Rajasthan CM, he rebelled with the help of his supporting MLAs, creating a political crisis in Rajasthan and leaving the Congress high command red-faced.
Today's exchanges amply revealed that the sparks between the two Congress heavyweights in Rajasthan can turn into flames anytime.
Newly elected party president Mallikarjun Kharge faces an uphill task of preventing a repeat of the crisis that the party had to go through in September.
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