'Traitor can't be CM': Ashok Gehlot on Sachin Pilot
As Sachin Pilot loyalists continue to push the Congress high command to make him Rajasthan's chief minister, his rival and incumbent CM Ashok Gehlot said, "A gaddar (traitor) cannot be chief minister." He made the statement during an interview with NDTV on Thursday. To recall, Gehlot even withdrew from the Congress presidential race in September after Pilot's chances of becoming CM started taking shape.
Why does this story matter?
Rajasthan's Congress unit witnessed a major political crisis in September when Gehlot loyalists tried to arm-twist the party's central leadership to let him bid his nomination for the Congress president while being the Rajasthan CM—against the party's "one person, one post" policy. Gehlot was reluctant to let the CM's chair go to Pilot, who had unsuccessfully attempted a coup against his government in 2020.
Gehlot's comments come amid raging crisis in Rajasthan Congress
Amid the raging Rajasthan Congress crisis, Gehlot on Thursday reiterated his stand on elevating Pilot as CM and told NDTV, "The High Command cannot make Sachin Pilot the chief minister...a man who doesn't have [the support of] 10 MLAs." He accused Pilot of revolting against the Congress in 2020 on the directions of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leaders like Amit Shah.
'Won't allow Bharat Jodo Yatra if Pilot not made CM'
Meanwhile, Vijay Singh Bainsla, a Gurjar leader, recently threatened to oppose Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan if Pilot is not named the CM. Bainsla also claimed that Gurjars voted the Congress to power, expecting a Gurjar leader would be made the CM. However, Pilot did not support Bainsla's claims and said, "No matter how hard the BJP tries, the yatra will be successful."
If Bainsla has any grievance, we will address it: Gehlot
Following the threatening by Bainsla, CM Gehlot had earlier said that his government would address the Gurjar community's grievances, if any. He said, as per News18, "This is democracy...everyone has the right to speak. We are ruling on the basis of the Constitution, and the right to speak cannot be taken away... We will hear that [demand or suggestion] and...try to address the complaints."
Pilot attempted to unseat Gehlot in 2020
As the Congress came to power in Rajasthan in 2018, Pilot and Gehlot locked horns over the CM's post. While Gehlot was made the CM for the third time, Pilot was made his deputy. However, in 2020, Pilot huddled 18 MLAs to revolt against Gehlot's leadership and camped in Haryana amid reports of him being in touch with the BJP to topple the government.
What is Bharat Jodo Yatra?
Meanwhile, the Congress's ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY)—spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi and launched in September 2022—is its largest pan-India public outreach since independence. The party says the cross-country march, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is aimed at encouraging unity and communal harmony, discouraging hatred, and seeking resolutions to many other issues. The BJY is expected to reach Rajasthan on December 4.
