Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot said on Monday that the Congress needs to introspect why it hasn’t “won consecutive elections in Rajasthan for 30 years”. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Pilot said, “We haven’t won consecutive elections in Rajasthan for 30 years. Why? We need to introspect on this.”
Pilot added that the Congress’s “attempt now is to break this cycle of a revolving door”. He was quoted as saying, “The party is energised. We have never won back-to-back Rajasthan elections. Our attempt now is to break this cycle of a revolving door (and) we are well-placed to do that. There is a change of mood.”
Rajasthan has been swing state, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have won state assembly elections alternatively.
Speaking on the Congress’s chances of winning the Rajasthan Election 2023, Pilot said, “We are looking at social welfare and also investment and wealth creation (for the people of Rajasthan). We need an equitable Rajasthan… we need to give youth opportunities.”
He also hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “double engine” government while speaking at a rally.
Sachin Pilot’s statement came ahead of the polling for the Rajasthan Assembly Election 2023. The voting for the elections will be held on November 25. The counting of votes will be done on December 3 along with four other states. The campaign for the November 25 elections in Rajasthan is peaking with leaders criss-crossing the state and addressing rallies.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday visited Congress war room here to oversee preparations for the Assembly elections. Rajasthan Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was also present during his visit.
In the backdrop of the tension between Sachin Pilot and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Rahul Gandhi maintained that Congress leaders in Rajasthan are together and the party will win the November 25 assembly elections.
Pilot had also said in an interview with PTI that he is following the mantra of “forgive, forget and move on” as advised by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former AICC president Rahul Gandhi.
On Ashok Gehlot’s past remarks directed at him, Sachin Pilot said, “Leave it! Who said what…I can be responsible for what I have said or not said. We should maintain dignity in political discussions.” He added that it’s time to move on and that “we need to forget and move forward”.