‘Hope you to respect workers who enabled Congress to form government’: Sachin Pilot congratulates new RPCC chief

Sachin Pilot congratulates new Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra.

Sacked Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot has congratulated his successor Govind Singh Dotasra. Dotasra took charge as the Rajasthan Congress president on Wednesday.

Pilot in a tweet said that he expects the new chief to work without prejudice and treat with respect the workers whose hard work enabled the party to form the government in 2018.

READ MORE: Ashok Gehlot loyalist Govind Singh Dotasra takes charge as Rajasthan Congress chief

“Congratulations to Govind Dotasra ji on assuming the charge of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief. I expect that without any pressure or prejudice, you will give full respect to those workers with whose hard work the government has been formed,” Pilot tweeted in Hindi.

Sachin Pilot’s tweets come amid a power struggle between him and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Pilot was sacked as deputy CM and Congress’ Rajasthan unit chief after he rebelled against Ashok Gehlot.

श्री @GovindDotasra जी को राजस्थान प्रदेश कांग्रेस कमेटी के अध्यक्ष का पदभार ग्रहण करने पर बधाई।
मुझे उम्मीद है की आप बिना किसी दबाव या पक्षपात के उन कार्यकर्ताओं जिनकी की मेहनत से सरकार बनी है, उनका पूरा मान-सम्मान रखेंगे।

— Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) July 29, 2020

Pilot was made the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief in January 2014 after the party’s drubbing in the Assembly election. The tussle between Gehlot and Pilot had started since then. It came to fore way back in 2018 when the state went to polls.

The two leaders crossed swords for the first time during the selection of candidates and then for CM’s chairs after Congress’ win. Pilot claimed for the CM’s chair but the Congress leadership overlooked his claim and made Ashok Gehlot the Chief Minister for a third time. Pilot was made his deputy.  The difference between Gehlot and Pilot was reported again during the portfolio distribution.

A war of words between the two leaders surfaced once again during the general elections in May 2019. The Pilot camp claimed that Ashok Gehlot didn’t work for the party candidates and focussed on the Jodhpur seat from where his son was in the fray.

Dotasra is believed to be Ashok Gehlot loyalist. He formally took over as the new chief of the Rajasthan Congress on Wednesday. He was appointed to the post after Sachin Pilot was sacked as the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief and the deputy chief minister following accusations that he tried to topple the Congress government with the opposition BJP’s support.

Besides Pilot, as many as 18 MLAs have also fallen out of the Gehlot government. The 19 MLAs are currently staying at a resort on Jaipur-Gurugram highway.

In the 200-member Legislative Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs which includes 19 rebels. The Bharatiya Janata Party has 72 MLAs.