Congress attempts fresh outreach to Sachin Pilot, but terms and conditions apply

Sachin and his loyalist MLAs are believed have camped at a hotel in Manesar.

Rajasthan crisis: Day after sacking Sachin Pilot, the Congress today appeared to make another attempt to get Pilot back on board and said that if he has any grievances he should come back to Jaipur and resolve the crisis. In a press conference, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that senior party leaders told him to come to Jaipur and resolve the issue at the legislators’ meet but he would not listen. Surjewala said that now Sachin has said that he is not joining the BJP. He said that if this was indeed the case, he should first shun the hospitality of the BJP government in Haryana. Sachin and his loyalist MLAs are believed have camped at a hotel in Manesar.

“We have seen Sachin Pilot’s statement that he won’t join the BJP. I would like to tell him that if you don’t want that, then immediately come out of the security cover of ML Khattar’s Haryana government, stop all conversations with them (BJP) and come back to your home in Jaipur,” Surjewala said. The Congress has been making efforts to somehow bring Sachin Pilot back in its fold and claimed that several senior leaders have reached out to the Tonk MLA.

Surjewala’s fresh attempt came just a day after he announced the sacking of Sachin Pilot from the posts of Deputy CM and President of Rajasthan Congress.

Earlier today, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot accused Sachin Pilot of indulging in horse trading to topple the Congress government in the state. While Sachin Pilot is yet to open up on his sacking, MLAs close to him have clarified that they are not thinking of joining BJP and the reasons behind the rebellion was the humiliation meted out to their leader. In a brief statement to PTI, Sachin said that there was no truth in the rumours of him joining the BJP. He said that he had worked very hard to defeat the saffron party in the Assembly elections that saw Congress return to power. He said that he is yet to take a decision on his future course of action.