Sachin Pilot's turn won't come because...: Shah on Cong rift

In a swipe at the Congress in Rajasthan over infighting, Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the party prefers Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over his former deputy Sachin Pilot as his contribution in filling its coffers with the "corruption" money from the state is higher.

He said that Gehlot and Pilot are fighting unnecessarily as the BJP will form the next government in Rajasthan.

"Pilot sits on dharna on any pretext... his contribution may be higher on the ground but his number will not come because his contribution in filling the coffers of Congress party is less and Gehlot's contribution is higher," Shah said while addressing booth-level party workers meeting in Bharatpur.

The two Congress leaders are at loggerheads since 2020 after Pilot revolted against Gehlot's leadership. Pilot recently observed a one-day fast against his own government alleging inaction on corruption charges against the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government.

"Gehlot ji is saying that I do not want to step down and Pilot ji is saying that I want to be on the chair. They are fighting unnecessarily because the government is to be formed by the BJP," Shah said.

Shah alleged Gehlot has made the Rajasthan government "an ‘adda' (hub) of corruption and has looted the state. This money of corruption has gone to the coffers of the Congress party”.

After Raje criticised the Gehlot government in her address over the law and order situation in the state, Shah said that she was being considerate as not only had crime against women increased under the Congress dispensation but it had fuelled casteism and crossed all limits of appeasement.

"The Gehlot government has worked to nurture dynasty, has incited casteism and... violence by crossing the limits of appeasement. This government can take top marks in appeasement," Shah said.

The Union home minister alleged that the Gehlot government does not take any tough steps to check riots due to the "greed of vote bank".

"More than two dozen papers have been leaked in Rajasthan and Mr. Gehlot still wants power... do you want to score a century? The people of Rajasthan no longer want you," Shah said.

“Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is one of the most corrupt governments in the history of Rajasthan. People are fed up,” he claimed.

Shah exuded confidence that the BJP will form a government in Rajasthan with a two-thirds majority in the year-end assembly polls and win all 25 Lok Sabha seats in 2024.

On the acquittal of the accused in the 2008 Jaipur bomb blast case, Shah alleged that the Congress government did not present proper arguments in the high court due to vote bank politics.

“Gehlot ji, you are doing politics over the victims of the bomb blasts... Do you think the people are not watching? They had made up their mind the very same day against your government when you had banned the Ram Navami procession and saffron flags,” he said.

He alleged that it was "a 3-D government in Rajasthan and three Ds stands for 'dange' (riots), 'durvyavhar' (ill-treatment) with women and 'Dalit' atrocities.

Shah said that once the BJP was mocked for having just two parliamentarians by the Congress, but today the Congress doesn't even hold the status of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

He also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying that its result was seen in the recent assembly elections in the three Northeast states.

"Recently, Rahul baba had taken out a massive Yatra. He walked in the entire country. He did a good job. Journalists had asked me what would be the result of the Yatra. Elections were held in Northeast states and the Congress party was wiped out," he said.

He said that the BJP will go to elections on the basis of the work of the Modi government, the party ideology and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

"Modi ji worked to secure India from corona. Toilets were built in every house, 80 crore people are being given 5 kg food grains, Modi ji has done the work of opening bank accounts for more than seven crore people," he said, crediting the prime minister's work for the BJP's successive victories.

Besides former chief minister Raje, BJP's state in-charge Arun Singh, state president CP Joshi, Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore were present at the event.

Party sources said BJP booth presidents of four districts of Bharatpur division Bharatpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur and Dhaulpur and more than 25,000 workers of 4,700 booths of the division participated in the programme.

The party had suffered defeat in this division in the 2018 assembly elections.

In east Rajasthan, Bharatpur division has a total of 19 assembly seats in four districts and the BJP could win only one seat in Dholpur in the 2018 assembly elections.

Sixteen seats were won by Congress and one each by the RLD and an Independent. Both RLD and independent candidates are supporting the Congress government.

The event was seen as the beginning of BJP's campaign on the ground for the assembly elections to be held later this year.