Following the Chief Minister’s shocking interview with NDTV in which he referred to his erstwhile deputy as a “gaddar (traitor),” Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot today made an awkward show of unity.
The rival politicians stood next to one other as they addressed the media in Jaipur, Rajasthan, and emphasised that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, which will arrive in the state on December 4, will be a huge success there.
“For us, the party is paramount. The party needs to move forward and reclaim its grandeur “Gehlot, the chief minister, said reporters.
“It is a major difficulty that there is a climate of tension throughout the nation. However, the yatra’s success demonstrates that the public firmly supports the concerns stated by Rahul Gandhi.”
The Bharat Jodo Yatra featuring Rahul Gandhi, according to Sachin Pilot, “would be welcomed with maximum excitement and zeal in Rajasthan.”
The #BharatJodoYatra, which starts in Rajasthan on December 5, was reviewed today in Jaipur by GS(Org) KC Venugopal, a Rajasthan-based MP. The state’s Congress is unified and committed to making sure it is a resounding success. And it will be, for sure! pic.twitter.com/usoz7Bg4Rg
Twitter user @Jairam Ramesh 29 November 2022
For the Congress, which is battling hostility between its two top leaders in Rajasthan just before Rahul Gandhi starts his 12-day visit of the state, the Gehlot-Pilot joint appearance was essential.
The rivals met with Gandhis’ dependable assistant KC Venugopal, who had been sent to Rajasthan to “oversee preps” for the yatra, and a detente was reached.
Mr. Gehlot said the following in an exclusive interview with NDTV on Thursday: “The Chief Minister cannot be a gaddar (traitor). Sachin Pilot does not have ten MLAs, hence the High Command cannot appoint him as chief minister. he was revolting. He is a traitor since he betrayed the group.”
In response, Mr. Pilot stated that using such words by a senior leader at a time when the Congress needed to present a united front was “unbecoming.”
The Congress was shocked by the free-for-all and clarified that the party “needs both leaders”—the knowledgeable Ashok Gehlot and the “young and energetic” Sachin Pilot. The party further stated that the case would be settled in its best interests.
Rahul Gandhi denied yesterday that the “gaddar” controversy will affect his yatra. In Indore, he said, “It won’t affect the yatra and both leaders are assets to the Congress party.”