Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot addressed a joint press conference, in what could be seen as a show of unity, on Tuesday, days after the Rajasthan chief minister described his former deputy as “gaddar (traitor)” in an interview to news channel NDTV.
Gehlot and Pilot praised Rahul Gandhi‘s Bharat Jodo Yatra which is entering Rajasthan on December 4.
“Bharat Jodo Yatra with Rahul Gandhi will be welcomed with maximum enthusiasm and energy in Rajasthan. The yatra will spend 12 days in the state. It will be a historic yatra with participation of all sections of people,” Pilot said in Jaipur.
“If Rahul Gandhi has said that both (Sachin Pilot and I ) are assets then we are assets. Every worker is an asset and together we’ll make Bharat Jodo Yatra a success. We will win the 2023 assembly poll as people are supporting us and the atmosphere is in our favour,” the Rajasthan chief minister said.
Also present on the occasion, KC Venugopal, Congress committee general secretary (organisation), said Rahul Gandhi has clearly stated that both Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are assets to the party.
“We are united. Here Ashok Ji and Sachin Pilot Ji have said that the Congress party in Rajasthan is united. Rahul Gandhi has clearly stated that both Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are assets to the party,” Venugopal said.
On Monday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said both the leaders are assets for the party. To a query on different statements being given by Rajasthan leaders Gehlot and Pilot amid their power tussle, he said, “It will not affect the yatra and both the leaders are assets to the Congress party.”
On Thursday, Gehlot had told NDTV that Pilot is a ‘gaddar’ (traitor) who cannot replace him as he had revolted against Congress in 2020 and tried to topple the state government, drawing a sharp response from his former deputy who said such “mud-slinging” would not help.
