Reviving rivalry with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Sunday demanded action against alleged corrupt practices during the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government and announced a day-long fast against corruption on Tuesday.
“No action was taken on corruption by the Vasundhara Raje government. While in Opposition, we had promised to probe the Rs 45,000 crore mines scam, but nothing has happened. Elections are round the corner. We are answerable to the people,” said the former Rajasthan Deputy CM at his residence in Jaipur.
He said he would observe a fast at Shaheed Smarak. Pilot and Gehlot have been sharing uneasy ties ever since the Congress came to power in Rajasthan in 2018. Pilot has nursed the grouse he was the sole sitting state chief who was denied CM-ship after Assembly poll wins. Kamal Nath and Bhupesh Baghel, then state chiefs of MP and Chhattisgarh, were made CMs.
“Only six to seven months are left for state elections. The opponents can spread an illusion that there is some collusion (with the corrupt). Therefore, action will have to be taken soon so that our words and deeds match,” Pilot said in a fresh bid to assert his authority in affairs of the state. Pilot had led an unsuccessful rebellion against the Congress in 2020, only to return to the party fold and lose his deputy CM-ship and state presidency.
Last year, Gehlot warded off yet another attempt to dislodge him as CM when the top Congress brass mooted the proposal to elevate him as party chief with Sonia calling it quits. Gehlot, however, insisted on holding CM-ship as well as Congress presidency should he be elected party chief, a remark that was rebutted by Rahul Gandhi publicly.
The Rajasthan CM, however, had the last laugh when he managed to thwart an attempt to replace him through a Congress Legislature Party meeting along the lines of replacement of then Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh.
To date, the AICC leadership has not been able to initiate any disciplinary action against Gehlot aides who played a role in bunking the official CLP meeting and holding a parallel one that famously ended with pro-Gehlot MLAs tendering resignations to Speaker CP Joshi. Only show-cause notices were issued to three leaders. No action followed.
After the fresh trouble in Rajasthan, the Congress, in an unprecedented move, backed CM Gehlot over Pilot. The party said it would seek a renewed mandate in Rajasthan on the ‘strengths of the Gehlot government’s schemes’
