Rajasthan Political Crisis: BJP's Jyotiraditya Scindia Backs Sachin Pilot Against CM Gehlot, Says "Talent Sidelined In Congress"

CM Ashok Gehlot has claimed that while his government is busy battling the Coronavirus, the BJP is playing politics and trying to poach Congress' MLAs.

Photo: AFP

Amid the dramatic refits and turns in the political corridors of Rajasthan government, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia has come out in support of his "erstwhile colleague" Sachin Pilot while attacking the other faction lead by state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Former Congress leader Scindia, who joined Bharatiya Janata Party in March this year, said that he is sad to see a talent like Pilot being "sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot."

Taking to his Twitter handle on Sunday, Scindia attacked the Congress-led Rajasthan government and said: Sad to see my erstwhile colleague,@SachinPilottoo, being sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan CM,@ashokgehlot51. Shows that talent and capability find little credence in the@INCIndia.

His harsh comments came amid the political crisis in Rajasthan where CM Ashok Gehlot has accused the BJP of poaching Congress MLAs to topple the Rajasthan government. Gehlot claimed that while his government is busy battling the coronavirus the BJP is playing politics and trying to poach Congress' MLAs.

Citing the examples of Karnataka and then Madhya Pradesh where Jyotiraditya Scindia moved to BJP and Congress lost its 15 MLAs, Gehlot said, "The sort of horse-trading that we have seen in other states, such things have never happened in Rajasthan. MLAs never resigned like what happened in Madhya Pradesh. They bought MLAs in Gujarat. What has transpired in Madhya Pradesh, something similar they are trying to do in Rajasthan."

Meanwhile, it is being said that Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot arrived Delhi on Sunday morning with some of his loyalist MLAs to show his strength to the top brass of the party.  Pilot is likely to meet Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi.

He reportedly met senior party leader Ahmed Patel at a meeting late on Saturday night and told him that chief minister Ashok Gehlot was trying to sideline him

The Congress holds 107 seats in the 200-strong Rajasthan Assembly and has support from 12 independent candidates. In addition, five MLAs from other parties - the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the CPI (M), and the Bharatiya Tribal Party - support Gehlot.

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