Jaipur: Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Sachin Pilot, who has been embroiled in a longstanding feud with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot since 2020, has affirmed that the party’s high command will determine the state’s leadership if Congress secures victory in the forthcoming Rajasthan elections, scheduled for November 25 with vote counting slated for December 3. Pilot emphasized his primary objective of delivering Rajasthan to the Congress, aiming to break a three-decade-long streak without a repeat government in the state.
When asked about the possibility of him becoming Chief Minister, even if a majority of tickets go to supporters of Ashok Gehlot, Pilot stressed that it’s incorrect to label anyone as a follower of another within the party. He underlined that they are contesting the elections under the Congress symbol, and candidate decisions are made at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) level after considering surveys and other inputs. The Central Election Committee (CEC) ultimately decides ticket allocations based on these considerations.
In July 2020, Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs rebelled against Ashok Gehlot’s leadership, resulting in a month-long power struggle that was ultimately resolved by the intervention of the party’s high command. Subsequently, Pilot was relieved of his duties as Deputy Chief Minister and the state Congress president.
Pilot, who led the Congress to victory in Rajasthan as the state party chief in 2018, emphasized that winning elections is a collective effort. He highlighted the importance of working as a team, expressing a commitment among Congress members to ensure the party’s victory in the upcoming elections. He cited disunity within the rival BJP as a potential advantage and credited the party’s top leadership, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, for initiatives aimed at uniting all stakeholders in the party.
Pilot recognized the challenges the Congress faced in 2013 when it secured only 21 seats, marking its worst performance since Independence. He stated that it required substantial effort to rebound from that setback.
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