Raj Cong feud resumes as Gehlot, Pilot aides lock horn over constituency visit

The brimming internal feud in the ruling Congress in Rajasthan saw a Sachin Pilot loyalist MLA hitting out at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's close aide and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation chairman Dharmendra Rathore over his visit to the legislator's constituency without informing him on Sunday.

Congress MLA Ramniwas Gawriya also accused Rathore of weakening the party in his constituency by colluding with local Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.

Rathore, however, said he was a “true soldier” of the Congress party and it was in the public domain who had damaged the party.

The RTDC chairman was on a visit to Parbatsar constituency of Nagaur district, which is held by Gawriya, and attended a few programmes including an award ceremony where a former BJP MLA was also present.

Rathore was among the three leaders who were issued a show-cause notice in September by the Congress after MLAs loyal to the chief minister did not attend an official legislature party meeting convened for passing a resolution authorising the Congress chief to appoint a successor to Gehlot, triggering a political crisis.

Gawriya, who was one of the Congress MLAs who, led by Sachin Pilot, had revolted against Gehlot in July 2020, questioned Rathore for visiting the constituency without informing him.

“Dharmendra Rathore came to Parbatsar and BJP workers were leading him. He roamed around with the people of the BJP. This matter will be taken to the party high command,” he said in a video.

He "'is not a mass leader. He has become the chairman by flattery. What is he doing? He is only damaging the party wherever he is going,” the MLA said.

When contacted, the RTDC chairman said that it was already in the public domain who had worked to damage the party in collusion with the BJP.

Targeting Sachin Pilot and his loyalist MLAs, Rathore said, “Everyone knows how much damage they have done to the Congress party. They sat in the lap of the BJP and tried to topple the Ashok Gehlot government.”

“I am a true soldier of Congress and will remain,” he continued.

On charges of attending a programme with the BJP leader, he said it was a programme of the Rajput community and such programmes are held beyond the party lines.

Gehlot and Pilot were at loggerheads for the CM post after Congress came to power in December 20218.

The party high command made Gehlot the chief minister and Pilot was appointed his deputy, but Pilot along with 18 other MLAs including Gawriya rebelled against Gehlot's leadership in July 2020 which further soured their relations.

Another political crisis erupted in September when Gehlot loyalist MLAs skipped a Congress legislature party meeting and handed over resignations to the assembly speaker against any move of the party to appoint Sachin Pilot as the new chief minister in place of Gehlot, who was in the race for Congress president post.