The impending assembly elections in Rajasthan has once again brought to the forefront the tension between incumbent CM Ashok Gehlot and ex-deputy CM Sachin Pilot. On Sunday, April 4, Pilot called for a one-day hunger strike to draw attention to the alleged corruption that occurred under the then BJP-led government, which was unseated in 2018.
Pilot and Gehlot had raised several allegations of corruption during the previous government’s tenure, citing the possibility of a “Rs 45,000-crore scam” in mines allocation and raised the bogey of alleged corruption in the Lalit Modi affidavit case. While the Congress had made a promise to take action and maintain a stance of ‘zero tolerance’ against corruption when it had come to power, this appears to have been overlooked as years have passed without any action being taken.
Pilot accused the Gehlot government of being silent on the corruption allegations, while also criticizing it for not taking action against the excise, mining and land mafia. He further added that his rivals could accuse the government of being ‘hand in glove’ with one another if no action takes place.
The Congress-led government in Rajasthan has remained relatively unscathed in the recent accusations of the BJP-led Centre misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate to target them. With the elections looming, Pilot has requested that the Congress show the public that there is a difference between their promises and work.
The Congress is a major Indian political party, which has been biggest catch for the Indian National Congress. Formed in 1885 by a group of educated Indians, the Congress has since become the country’s premier national political party. With Congress at the helm of the government between 2004 and 2014, the UPA government implemented several widely popular policies and enacted several important legislations helping to bring about socio-economic and political lasting changes.
Sachin Pilot is an Indian politician and ex-deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Born in 1978 in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, Pilot completed a B.A. in Economics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, an M.B.A. at the Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States and a P.G. Diploma in International Business from the London School of Economics, England. He began editing a student magazine at St. Stephen’s College and found himself associated with the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India (NSUI) upon his return to India. His appointment as the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan in 2018, threw him into the limelight and since has become a household name. His victory in the Dausa constituency elections to the Lok Sabha in 2009 and his contribution towards the victory of the Congress in the 2018 Rajasthan State Election have established him as a reputed leader of the Congress.