"Rajasthan After Karnataka": Congress Leader On Sachin Pilot's Ultimatum

A day after dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot threatened to launch a state-wide agitation, AICC co-incharge for Rajasthan Qazi Nizamuddin said on Tuesday that party president Mallikarjun Kharge is keeping a close eye on the developments.

Mr Nizamuddin, who along with other co-incharges Amrita Dhawan and Virendra Singh Rathore held interactions with party leaders and workers in the state, said that it was an election year and they will take feedback on how to ensure the party's victory.

“Sachin (Pilot) ji is a strong pillar of the Congress. Our national president Mallikarjun Kharge is keeping a close eye on all the activities that are happening and the entire matter is in his cognisance," he told reporters while replying to queries at the state Congress headquarters here when asked about the issue.

Mr Nizamuddin said that the matter has been "pending" and the Congress chief will take a decision once he has addressed the situation in Karnataka, where the party is working on government formation after winning the assembly election.

Flanked by several Congress MLAs at a rally on Monday, Mr Pilot, who is locked in a power tussle with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, issued an ultimatum to the state government to agree to his demands by the month-end or face a state-wide agitation.

Apart from a call for a high-level probe into corruption, Mr Pilot spelled out two other demands – disbanding the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) and its reconstitution, and compensation for those affected by the cancellation of government recruitment exams after paper leaks.

Asked about the demands raised by Mr Pilot, Mr Nizamuddin said, "These things keep happening. If there is any 'pinpoint' issue, then the government will definitely work on it".

He stressed that the Congress president has taken cognisance of the matter and only Mr Kharge or any leader authorised by him can speak on the issue.

The intensification of factional fighting in Rajasthan came as the party's central leadership struggled to pick between the two Chief Minister contenders in Karnataka – Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar – after winning the assembly polls there.

Mr Pilot gave the ultimatum while addressing a public meeting on Monday after his five-day 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra'.

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