Pilot versus Gehlot tussle returns to stage, at farmers’ protest meet

“Pilot sahib was president. State elections were held, ahead of Lok Sabha elections. We got 100 seats. At first, there were 99 then it became 100 and now 101. Someone does the hard work…,” Congress MLA and former Rajasthan tourism minister Vishvendra Singh left the sentence incomplete, a big smile etched on his face, as he addressed a farmers’ protest rally on Friday.
The gathering on the Kisan Mahapanchayat in Kothkhawada close to Jaipur cheered and applauded as Singh smiled. Sitting on the stage was former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, the chief visitor on the meet, which was organised in protest towards the Centre’s three farm legal guidelines.
“Samajhdar ho (you are intelligent),” stated a grinning Singh to the gathering, as they cheered on and raised slogans of “Sachin Pilot zindabad”. After a quick pause, he stated, “You are much more intelligent than me, what speech can I give. Before I could say my point, you grasped it.”
During final 12 months’s political disaster in Rajasthan, it was a typical grouse of the MLAs loyal to Pilot that regardless of he being the state Congress president when the get together was voted to energy, he was not made the chief minister. Singh was among the many 18 Congress MLAs who had sided with Pilot throughout his energy tussle with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Apart from a number of of the 18 loyalist MLAs, two extra Congress legislators – Dantaramgarh MLA Virendra Singh and Niwai MLA Prashant Bairwa – attended the rally, which was the third such programme organised by Pilot’s supporters throughout the Congress.
Bairwa was thought-about a Pilot supporter however had not sided with him throughout the political disaster and as a substitute stayed with the legislators loyal to Chief Minister Gehlot. Before taking his seat on the stage, he greeted Pilot.
In his deal with, Pilot saved to the contentious farm legal guidelines and the protests.
“Thousands of farmers are sitting in dharna around Delhi and in the entire country since the past 2-3 months. We have to understand that the three farm laws brought by the Centre are not only against the farmers but are also against the middle class, youth and the country’s citizens. We want to challenge the central government through this mahapanchayat that the farmer and youth of the country are standing together,” he stated.
He referred to the latest visits of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and the programmes being performed by Priyanka Gandhi to focus on that the Congress is elevating its voice towards the farm legal guidelines.

While different audio system have been scathing of their criticism of the BJP authorities on the Centre, they didn’t lose any alternative to hail Pilot’s contribution to the Congress get together together with references to his father, late Rajesh Pilot.
Moments earlier than former minister Singh’s speech, veteran Congress MLA Hemaram Choudhary heaped praises on Pilot, saying that on their method to Chaksu from Jaipur, individuals assembled in massive numbers to welcome him. “These are all signs that today Rajasthan’s farmers, youth and everyone want to take the state forward under Pilot sahib’s leadership and also want the solution to the problems faced by farmers,” he stated.
MLA Mukesh Bhakar, additionally a Pilot loyalist, stated when the Congress was lowered to 21 MLAs, Pilot took over because the get together president and labored to strengthen it.
Organised by Chaksu MLA Ved Prakash Solanki, who was among the many 18 Pilot loyalist legislators, the occasion additionally handed three resolutions – withdrawal of the three farm legal guidelines, a regulation handed on MSP and decreasing the costs of petrol, diesel and gasoline.

In the state’s political circles, Pilot’s rallies are being seen as show of energy by supporters of the previous deputy chief minister, whose bitter tussle with Chief Minister Gehlot resulted in a month-long political disaster in Rajasthan final 12 months. While Congress leaders loyal to Gehlot have distanced themselves from the Kisan Mahapanchayats, Pilot’s supporters have been busy making preparations for the programmes of their constituencies.