Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy and political rival in Congress Sachin Pilot held a press conference to show the unity in the party on Tuesday.
"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," said KC Venugopal, Gen Secy-Organization in Jaipur.
The ‘unity show’ came just ahead of Rahul Gandhi-led ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’’s Rajasthan entry.
Earlier, in an attempt to shut down all mills of controversies over the alleged rift between Pilot and Gehlot, senior leader Rahul Gandhi said that both the leaders are assets to the party. Gehlot had called Pilot a “traitor” over later’s 2020 revolt against the state leadership.
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.
Asked whether he would like to contest again from Amethi if given an opportunity, Gandhi said, "I don't want to give any headline to the media as at present my focus is on the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The answer to your question on the issue will come after a year or one-and-a-half years," he said. "I don't want to go into who said what," he added.
In an interview, Gehlot had said, "A traitor cannot be a chief minister. The Congress high command cannot make Sachin Pilot the chief minister. A man who doesn't have 10 MLAs." His comments drew sharp response from his former deputy who said such "mud-slinging" would not help.
