Congress rift in open as Pilot rejects Gehlot’s horse-trading claims
Jaipur, June 23 (IANS) The rift between Congress factions in Rajasthan came out into the open on Tuesday when Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, without naming Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, said that all claims made by his party leaders before the Rajya Sabha polls have been proved baseless.
“Both our candidates have received cent per cent votes from our MLAs who stood together during polls. I have been claiming that both our candidates shall win and what we claimed has turned out true. Any kind of doubts and suspicions spread around earlier were baseless,” he added.
Gehlot, in the run-up to the Rajya Sabha polls, accused the BJP of indulging in horse-trading and luring Congress MLAs by allegedly offering them Rs 25-35 crore.
He also also took the party MLAs and independents to a plush resort to prevent their alleged poaching by the BJP.
Party whip Mahesh Joshi further filed a complaint with the SOG and the ACB that unaccounted money has reached Rajasthan during lockdown days.
However, Pilot dismissed all these claims as groundless.
Addressing the media in the state Congress office after paying tributes to Sanjay Gandhi on his birth anniversary, he also said that as the state party chief, he owes a lot to grassroot workers who have worked hard for the last five years and hence, he shall look to ensure they get the respect and rewards they deserve.
Pilot’s statements also seems to be a warning for Gehlot, who, sources said, is all out to dole out plush political rewards to his favourites, independent MLAs and BSP MLAs who supported the Congress in the elections to the state’s Rajya Sabha seats.
However, grassroots workers working on ground are not quite happy with these reports that political appointments will be given to outsiders for simply showing their support to Gehlot while doing nothing.
“Gehlot has shown a scripted yet successful show smartly, but how shall he sail smoothly in the coming days with a party divided on different issues,” said a senior Congress worker who did not want to be named.
–IANS
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