Pilot to meet Priyanka in Delhi, rejects talk of him joining BJP

JAIPUR: Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot will meet Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday amid growing dissidence in the state unit, even as he rejected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s statement that she had reached out to the Congress leader and urged him to join their fold.

Joshi, who joined the BJP in 2016 after quitting the Congress, said on Thursday that Pilot was unhappy in the Congress and she talked to him about joining the BJP.

Dismissing Joshi’s statement , Pilot said on Friday: “Rita Bahuguna Joshi claimed that she had spoken to Sachin. She might have spoken to Sachin Tendulkar. She does not have the courage to speak to me.”

In July last year, Pilot and his supporters left Jaipur to camp at a secret location in Haryana, threatening the stability of the Ashok Gehlot government. Pilot was removed as the state Congress president, and it was only when the Gandhis intervened and set up a committee under general secretary Ajay Maken that he returned to the fold.

Earlier this month, 43-yearold Pilot told HT that the committee has failed to resolve the

issues raised by him. “It is unfortunate that so many of the party workers who worked and gave their all for getting us the mandate are not being heard,” he said.

People familiar with the developments said Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is again working to resolve the issues and fulfil the promises made to Pilot, who left for Delhi on Friday after participating in a protest against fuel price hike and inflation in Jaipur. Pilot is likely to meet Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday.

“He (Pilot) is in touch with Priyanka, she has assured him of resolving the issues, and asked him to maintain patience,” an MLA loyal to Pilot said, asking not to be named.

A senior party leader said on condition of anonymity, “Now all eyes are on Pilot-Priyanka meeting as she had played an important role in resolving the political crisis in July last year. He will also meet state in-charge Ajay Maken and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, who are members of the committee but haven’t submitted their report in the last 10 months.”

Earlier in the day, Congress legislator Hemaram Choudhary, who resigned from the state assembly last month, met Pilot on Friday amid talks of internal rumblings again brewing in the party’s state unit.

The MLA from Barmer’s Gudhamalani constituency was among 19 legislators who had rebelled against chief minister Gehlot last year.

“I didn’t resign after asking Pilot. I resigned listening to my conscience. People can appeal me but it is I who has to take a decision,” Choudhary said.

All India Congress Committee general secretary Bhanwar Jitendra Singh on Wednesday came out in support of Pilot, and said the promises made to him should be fulfilled.

“Whatever talks had happened between the [Congress] high command and in-charge general secretary should be fulfilled. I believe there is nothing wrong if he has raised an issue. If some issue is unresolved, then it can be raised. In Congress, everyone is free to speak.”