PM Statement on Sachin Pilot Stems from Eastern Rajasthan and Gujjar Anger Against the Congress – News18

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that Sachin Pilot is still paying because his father once challenged the Congress stems from the BJP’s strong belief that eastern Rajasthan and Gujjars have turned against the Congress in 2023.

This region and the Gujjar community had voted en masse for the Congress in 2018 as Sachin Pilot was the state Congress chief and was seen as the probable Chief Minister if the Congress won. The BJP could win just 14 out of the 54 seats in eastern Rajasthan’s 11 districts in 2018, which included all four seats in Vasundhara Raje’s stronghold Jhalawar region. It was wiped out of districts like Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli and Bharatpur in 2018, and faced big reverses in big districts like Alwar.

“That was the reason BJP lost in the last elections. But this time, the entire eastern Rajasthan and specifically Gujjars have turned against the Congress due to the humiliation of Sachin Pilot over the last five years when he was not made the CM and was constantly abused by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot,” a top BJP leader in Rajasthan told News18 in Jaipur.

The leader said that this would be a big reason for the BJP’s victory in Rajasthan this time. The leader claimed that this was also why Pilot had not aggressively campaigned in eastern Rajasthan this time.

“Gujjars have originally been the backers of the BJP, but shifted to Congress last time due to Pilot. The Gujjars feel slighted by the treatment meted out to Sachin Pilot… far from being made CM as they thought, he was stripped of even the post of Deputy CM and state Congress chief in 2020. Further, with all Congress posters now showing the face of Ashok Gehlot, and Sachin Pilot missing from most of them, Gujjars know Pilot will not be made the CM even if Congress wins so they see no point in voting for the Congress,” the top BJP leader said.

The Prime Minister, while campaigning in Rajasthan on Wednesday, said the Congress was punishing Sachin Pilot. “Rajesh Pilot once challenged the Gandhi family and his son (Sachin) is still paying for it. Anyone who says the truth in the Congress is shunted out,” the PM said, referring to Rajesh Pilot once contesting for the post of the Congress president.

The PM’s statement is expected to further assuage the sentiment in eastern Rajasthan where people feel Sachin Pilot did not get his due. “People there know Gehlot and Pilot kept fighting for 4.5 years and now the CM is putting up a facade of unity as they face the elections,” the BJP leader said.

News18 also found multiple people agreeing with the sentiment when it travelled through eastern Rajasthan.

Pawan Khera of the Congress said the Prime Minister’s statement was far from the facts and said the BJP should instead seek an apology from the Gujjars who were killed during an agitation in Dausa during the BJP’s tenure.

Sachin Pilot also said: “The truth is that (Rajesh) Pilot joined the Congress after taking inspiration from Indira Gandhi. He served the people for a long time while being in the Congress. Regarding his (PM’s) remarks on me, I believe no one, except my party and people, should care about my present and future.”