Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday amid talks of a cabinet reshuffle.
The meeting where Pilot met Sonia Gandhi took place at Sonia Gandhi’s residence comes a day after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met the Congress president. After meeting Sonia Gandhi, Pilot said they held detailed discussions on the government and organisation in Rajasthan.
As commonly alleged a rift in Congress, Pilot also denied any rift in the party and said, “We are all people of Congress, it is not the time to do ‘us and them’.” “I made my points about the situation in the state. We had discussions in a good atmosphere. I am happy the Congress president is interested in Rajasthan,” Pilot said.
The committee that Sonia ji made a year ago, the work of that committee is over. Ajay Maken ji and Venugopal ji are taking reports. I think the party high command would make a decision very soon.”
Sachin Pilot also said, “The pandemic came so things were delayed, there is a need for change in the government and organisation, AICC and chief minister would take a call. There are less than two years left for the elections. Rajasthan is a state where results swing, BJP and Congress come to power alternatively. We should prepare for polls, and break this trend. It is compulsory to come back in power in Rajasthan,” he said.
Pilot said the party workers who have worked hard during the BJP tenure should be given respect and be taken along to win the polls in Rajasthan again. “Only Congress can challenge the BJP, so we should all support the party, BJP will pay for its actions,” Pilot added. He said he would be happy to do whatever the party decided.
Notably, over the last few years, tensions had risen between Gehlot and Pilot in Rajasthan, and both sides have their loyalists who they want to be appointed on different posts. Amid friction between the two camps, Maken had held extensive discussions with all Congress MLAs in the state in July this year.
Sachin Pilot also raised certain issues and seeks social, gender and region balance in Rajasthan.
Also, Pilot apparently recently pointed out that the Rajasthan ministry was without Dalit representation. He also said the eastern region remained ‘underrepresented’ despite electing the largest chunk of Congress candidates to the assembly.
The forthcoming ministry reshuffle and political appointments in Rajasthan should ensure social, regional, gender and generational balance, senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot has said during his meeting with Sonia Gandhi.
Presenting his requests and vision to Sonia Gandhi during their meeting in New Delhi on Friday, Pilot said the ministry reshuffle and reconstitution of party panels can be used to ensure Congress bucks Rajasthan’s trend of voting out the incumbent and retaining power after the 2023 assembly polls.
While leaning for a fair share of Cabinet representations for his supporting MLAs, Pilot is also learnt to have restated his stand that Congress workers who fought against BJP and ‘bore lathis’ should get their ‘share and voice’ in the Cabinet and the Congress organisation and emphasised the need for better government-party coordination in the run-up to the next assembly polls.
Priyanka Gandhi’s Nudge to Ashok Gehlot to Accommodate Pilot’s Supporters.
Sources said the Congress high command is keen that the reshuffle takes place immediately and supporters of Mr Pilot be accommodated. A meeting was held in Rahul Gandhi’s residence on Wednesday; however, he did not attend the meeting.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, and party in-charge for Rajasthan, Ajay Maken, were present at the meeting. Sources said the discussion involved cabinet reshuffle and appointments in the state corporations, which Mr Gehlot has been delaying for over a year.
