Rift surfaces in Cong during Pilot’s Kisan Yatra in Hadauti

Kota: Internal differences in the state Congress have surfaced within two days of the Kisan Nyay Yatra being led by PCC chief Sachin Pilot.

Senior Congress leaders from Kota region considered close to former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and former Union minister C P Joshi have distanced themselves from the Yatra. Even youngsters in the party who do not want to be seen close to Pilot have avoided participating in the 100-km Yatra.

Former cabinet minister Bharat Singh, a senior Congressman from Kota, who has openly spoken about the weakening party organisation, has been absent from the Yatra since its start on Tuesday. Other prominent Congress leaders from the region who have skipped participating in the Yatra include ex-chairperson of national commission for women Mamta Sharma, three-time MLA and one-time MP Ramnarayan Meena, Kota city Congress president Govind Sharma, Bundi Zila Pramukh Sonia Gujjar, Bundi ex-Zila Pramukh Mahavir Meena and Congress MLA Ashok Chandna.

Besides, most of the Congress block presidents were also absent from the Yatra.

Many others did just a formality of being present at the start off ceremony in Baran on Tuesday but did not walk a single kilometre with the PCC chief. Former cabinet minister Shanti Dhariwal, Harimohan Sharma, ex-MLA and Bundi district Congress president C L Premi made a brief presence with the PCC chief at a press conference prior to the Yatra in Baran.

MLA Chandna could not attend the Yatra for fear of being arrested as his interim bail application rejected by the high court on Tuesday, said a Congress worker close to him. However, even supporters of Chandna did not participate in the Yatra.

The absence of these Congress leaders and their supports in the Yatra has left the grassroots party worker as well as the common man puzzled, while leaders in the ruling BJP are in high spirits.

The differences between the young and senior party leaders and the clash of interests among party leaders in favor of former chief minister Gehlot and former union minister Joshi were visible in the Yatra, said a state Youth Congress official. He added, "The Yatra has received rousing welcomes at several places on way to Jhalawar but people and local party workers are avoiding participation."

The entire Kisan Nyay Pad Yatra is being video-recorded with minute details by the police and the district administration. A Youth Congress official claimed that local party leaders and people were avoiding the Yatra for fear of the chief minister, as Baran and Jhalawar were constituencies of Vasundhara Raje and her son Dushyant Singh.

On second day of the four-day Pad Yatra, Pilot and his supporters began walking from Bambla village in Baran district on Wednesday morning and were to cover around 32 kilometres to reach Chand Khedi village in Jhalawar district for a night stay.