Sachin Pilot compares Rajasthan with Karnataka, asks his govt to fulfil promise on 'corruption'

Dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday cited his partys victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls to push for action by the Ashok Gehlot government over alleged corruption during the previous BJP rule in RajasthanAs the assembly polls approach in Rajasthan the former deputy chief minister mounted pressure on Chief Minister Gehlot and the partys top leadership with a fiveday yatra which ended Monday with a big rally in JaipurIn an effort to corner Gehlot Pilot has been demanding action over accusations of corruption made by the Congress ahead of the Rajasthan polls in 2018In an interview to PTI before the Jaipur rally he compared the situation now in Karnataka where the Congress has swept the assembly polls with that in Rajasthan in 2018ldquoWe levelled allegations of corruption against the BJP government in Karnataka The Congress has got a mandate there and if no action against corruption by the BJPs Bommai government is taken will people listen to us after five yearsrdquo he saidldquoThis is the situation here in Rajasthan So I want action taken on thisrdquo he addedPilots argument is that the Congress levelled corruption charges against the BJP government of Vasundhara Raje ahead of the 2018 elections and people expected it to act on the issue once it came to powerHe asked how he could be wrong in talking about corruption that took place during the term of the previous BJP government in the statePilot who is locked in a leadership tussle with Gehlot in the state said he will continue to raise the issue in the future as wellAt the rally later he was more categorical He threatened to launch a major agitation if his demands are not met by the monthend About 15 Congress MLAs shared the dais with him in the show of strengthAlso readCongress opposition parties under same delusion about 2024 after Karnataka win as they were after 2018 state polls NaqviIn 2018 the partys top leadership faced in Rajasthan a dilemma of the kind it encounters in Karnataka where it is forced to pick between two CM aspirants iquest D K Shivakumar and SiddaramaiahThe party had then gone with Gehlot disappointing Pilot who claimed to have led the Congress to victory as the president of the state unitPilot said when Gehlot was given the opportunity by the party to run the state government for the first time in 1998 he was just 47 or 48 years old and veteran Congress leaders of that time followed the party disciplinePilot 45 was possibly alluding to the argument that he is too young to become the chief ministerHe also criticised Gehlot loyalist and minister Shanti Dhariwals recent remark that the CM has shown several big leaders their placeReacting to Gehlots recent remark that he never boasted about how he won 156 seats for the Congress in 1998 Pilot said no one can boast or take credit for something like thisIt is the party which contests elections and votes are given on policies and principles he saidWhen asked about the state government schemes Pilot said ldquoA good budget comes good announcements are made good policy is made But why dont we get the votes It is the reality and the bitter truthrdquoHe said he has raised several issues on party platforms to ensure this doesnt happen in the coming Rajasthan electionsPilot has been asking the party to resolve ldquoissuesrdquo he had raised in 2020 when he and 18 other Congress MLAs revolted against Gehlots leadershipWhen asked about reports that he has decided to quit the Congress if issues concerning him are not addressed Pilot called it speculation created by the mediaHe said the Congress party got huge support in the 2018 elections on the promise that it will take action on ldquocorruptionrdquo by the then Vasundhara Rajeled BJP governmentBut no action was taken he said So he wrote letters to the CM for one and a half years and then held a oneday fast in Jaipur last monthOn party leaders calling his foot march from Ajmer to Jaipur a ldquopersonalrdquo yatra the leader said the issues raised by him got huge support from the publicldquoPeople are coming together on these issues despite the scorching heat they are walking with me The support one can see on the road is the support for the issues which I am raisingrdquo he saidAt the rally he gave the Gehlot government an ultimatum to agree to three demands including a highlevel probe into iquestcorruptioniquest by the BJP governmentThe dissident leader also demanded the reconstitution of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission RPSC over exam paper leaks and compensation for aspirants who suffered due to thisThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever