The Congress on Friday termed as “rumours” news reports that party leader and former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot is likely to launch his party, saying that the party leadership is in regular touch with him.
Interacting with media persons here, Congress General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal said: “I don’t think so, these are all rumours. Why don’t you ask him these questions…. To my knowledge, there is no such movement there in Rajasthan.”
Asked if he had spoken to Pilot after the May 29 meeting in which party chief Mallikarjun Khartge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, state unit in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and he were present, Venugopal said: “So many times I had a word with Pilot. I have spoken to him 2-3 times and I had a word with him. We will fight unitedly in Rajasthan and please don’t believe in these rumors.”
His remarks came amid the news report claiming that Pilot is likely to float his own party in the desert state on June 11.
According to party sources, Pilot had met Venugopal on Thursday evening in the national capital.
On May 29, the over four-hour-long meeting at the residence of Kharge concluded with both Gehlot and Pilot coming out together with smiles on their faces along with Venugopal, who had announced that the Congress will fight unitedly in Rajasthan.
The Congress state unit had been in a state of turmoil since July 2020, when Pilot staged a revolt seeking a leadership change in the state. Following the revolt, Pilot, who was the Deputy Chief Minister, was removed from the post. He was also removed as the state Congress President. Since then, there has been tensions within the state party unit and crisis deepened in September last year before the party President’s election.
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