The whole world of Rajasthan has its eyes on Sachin Pilot’s rally in Dausa tomorrow. Will Pilot and his supporters just pay special “prathna sabha’ (prayer meet) and homage on the 23 death anniversary of former Union Minister late Rajesh Pilot or can the Pilot faction announce a name of a new political outfit since the Congress High Command has yet not decided to disclose its decision on the accord arrived between Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over their political strife in Delhi last month.
Politicians of every party and media experts are keeping their fingers crossed and waiting for the new development in the Pilot group, if any. Everyone is guessing, and even anticipating if any coincidence can be drawn with the previous dates — in both cases 11th day of the preceding two months — April 11, and May 11. And since tomorrow happens to be June 11, is there anything in the offing?
On April 11, Pilot had gone for one day ‘Maun Vrat’ in Jaipur’s Shaheed Smarak against corruption in the previous BJP Chief Minister Vasundhara government.
On May 11, Pilot with his supporters had started a Jan Sangharsh Pad Yatra from Ajmer-Jaipur against corruption, paper leak cases, and against the Gehlot government’s dilly- dallying tactics over the previous Raje government’s corruption.
On the culmination of his yatra, Pilot supported by at least 20 MLAs and two ministers gave an ultimatum to the Gehlot government to resolve three demands of theirs by May 30. But on May 29, the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi held a four-hour meeting with Gehlot and Pilot and declared an accord achieved ‘unanimously and unitedly’ to go ahead and return to power in the upcoming assembly polls due in December 2023.
As per an invite of the Rajesh Pilot Memorial Trust, Sachin will hold homage and prayer meet at Bhadana village, and unveil the statue of his father late Rajesh Pilot at Gurjar Chatrawas in Dausa district in the forenoon of tomorrow.
Thousands of his followers, especially the Gurjars community, and supporters of at least 20 Congress MLAs and ministers will gather at two places.
Chief Minister Gehlot, who had recently told a digital media ‘Lallantop’ that the differences with Pilot have been settled now, and has already released his whirled tour on ‘Mehangai Rahat Camp’ schedule for the two days, June 11 and 12 in Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Banswara, Dungarpur and Udaipur districts. Gehlot categorically said, “Humari sulah permanent, hum kabhi alag nahin huey (our rapprochement is permanent. We never separated).”
Whereas Rajasthan Congress In-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has ruled out the formation of a new party by Sachin Pilot and K C Venugopal also told the media in Delhi yesterday that there was no such thing and dismissed the reports of Pilot floating his own party.
Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Rajendra Rathore however commented yesterday during a press conference that “Sachin Pilot’s plane is on an auto mode. Gehlot has not responded to his (Pilot’s) issues.” Recently, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) Chief and LS MP from Nagaur Hanuman Beniwal had offered Pilot to leave the Congress party and form a new political outfit for which the RLP would support him from outside.
When asked whether Gehlot and Randhawa will be joining the Dausa events tomorrow, former Congress Minister in previous Gehlot’s government and Vice President of RPCC, Rajendra Choudhary, told The Statesman that it was up to them (Gehlot/Randhawa) to attend the event organised for the veteran Congress leader late Rajesh Pilot in Dausa.
“If they (party high command) have claimed that both (Pilot-Gehlot) are united, then they (Gehlot/Randhawa) should show solidarity, and if they do not attend, then who is going to be a defaulter…workers can imagine”, Choudhary who is said to be the right hand of Pilot questioned.
“Randhawa is the chief for Satta-Sangathan in Rajasthan, he mostly moves around the state in choppers with Gehlotji, if he comes and attends tomorrow’s events, then it would be a good message to the public and the party workers on the said unity”, Choudhary said.
Can Pilot float any party, when questioned, Choudhary said, “Who is saying and from where this issue is floating? How come Randhawa, Venugopalji is claiming in the media that Pilot would not form a party? Pilot has never mentioned this in his speech anywhere?”
“I have no information of any such political party formation”, he said when quizzed for any possibility of any such announcement tomorrow.
Party workers have been waiting for the high command’s decision to reveal the formula of May 29, and extend responsibility to Pilot, who is just not an MLA of Tonk Constituency but a national party and charismatic leader, and poll campaigner, Choudhary who was busy in tomorrow’s preparations at the venue said.
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