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Congress MLA and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot has dismissed all rumours about his exit from the party and according to sources wants the party high command to resolve the growing unease among his supporter MLAs with the same priority it did to sort out differences in Punjab.
"Pilot will not leave the party and will fulfil whatever responsibility the high command gives him. Pilot is in constant touch with the high command and hopes his demands will be accepted soon. Just like the Punjab issue was resolved quickly, he wants the same for Rajasthan too," a source said. According to the source Pilot wants the demands be met of the Congress MLAs and karyakartas who had supported him last year when he had rebelled against Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot. He along with MLAs who supported him had camped near Delhi and had finally announced his return to Rajasthan after the Gandhi family intervened and reportedly assured him that his grievances would be addressed. A three-member committee was also set up under general secretary Ajay Maken to look into the issues raised by Pilot and his camp. "The aspirations of MLAs supporting Pilot should be respected and promises made to them should be fulfilled," a party source said. "All MLAs belong to Congress party, whoever is with Pilot or not does not matter. Everyone belongs to the Congress party," said the source. Recently a three-member panel comprising Mallikarjun Kharge, Harish Rawat and JP Aggarwal had met with Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and dissident leaders Navjot Singh Sidhu and a number of party MLAs. A report of the recommendation by the panel has been sent to the party high command. Sources say that Pilot wants something similar for Rajasthan too. Pilot has also rejected claims by BJP's Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who had said that Pilot will soon switch over to the BJP. "Rita Bahuguna Joshi has said that she spoke to Sachin. She might have spoken to Sachin Tendulkar. She doesn't have the courage to speak to me," Pilot had said while speaking to reporters in Jaipur on Friday before embarking for Delhi where he is likely to stay till Sunday. According to sources, Pilot is continuously in touch with Rajasthan's in-charge of Congress Ajay Maken over phone. "If Pilot had spoken to Jitin Prasada over the phone, he would have stopped him," the source said. Pilot, meanwhile, said he has no plans to meet former party chief Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi during his visit to Delhi. Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara who is in Delhi today said, "Sachin Pilot is a senior leader of Congress and there is no problem in the party. Party's in charge of Rajasthan, Ajay Maken has said that the Cabinet reshuffle will happen in the state soon." (ANI)
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