Pilot predicts Cong return to power in Rajasthan

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday said Congress will return to power in Rajasthan after the assembly elections and highlighted that the BJP has no blueprint for the state, which will go to polls on November 25.

Speaking at News18 Rajasthan’s Agenda Rajasthan, the former Rajasthan deputy CM said that the Congress high command will take a decision on the chief minister candidate if the party retains power.

Pilot, a Congress MLA from Tonk who led a rebellion against CM Ashok Gehlot, said the party leadership took cognizance of issues raised by him and acted positively on them.

“As far as I am concerned, we assured people on some issues when we were in the opposition. There should be dialogue on these issues in the party so that we can go to people again. Whatever issues I raised. AICC and top leadership took cognizance of issues raised by me. Now we are going to people. I think whatever happened, made people believe that there is no difference in our words and deeds. The party has decided that we should fight together,” he said.

“I kept issues in front of party. AICC played a positive and supportive role on those issues and that has strengthened party,” he added.

When asked if he would be the CM in case Congress forms the government, Pilot said, “No one knows about the future. Congress has a longstanding tradition. We fight elections. If people elect us, party leadership decide responsibilities after taking the views of MLAs. After the 2018 polls, we decided that the Congress president would decide who would be the leader of the legislative party. It will happen this time as well.”

“The BJP campaign is not able to get up. Its campaign is no blame game and criticism. They don’t have any roadmap and blueprint,” he added.

When asked about the tradition of Rajasthan not to repeat government, Pilot said, “In three decades, people don’t repeat governments. But traditions do break. People want to give Congress a chance again. We won in Karnataka and Himachal. We are confident that we will repeat the government with a majority,”

The Congress leader said that the opposition BJP was absent from the ground in Rajasthan.

“The opposition (BJP) was absent from Rajasthan. BJP which is a national party did not try to become the voice of the people. They should have tried to associate with the people. We were in the opposition between 2013-2018. They did not actively work for the people,” he added.