Amid speculation over Sachin Pilot floating a new party amid his protracted tussle with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal on Wednesday dismissed it as “rumour” and said there was no indication the Tonk MLA would leave the party.
“Only a day before yesterday I spoke to him. He has not given any signal that he is going to leave the party. I find these as rumours,” Venugopal said.
The Rajya Sabha MP said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have undertake the “very important task” of resolving the issues in the Rajasthan party unit.
“After the efforts by the leadership, I have spoken to Sachin Pilot 2-3 times and we are discussing the the finer details. We do not have any information about Sachin Pilot leaving the party officially,” Venugopal said.
“The High Command has taken the strongest possible efforts to resolve the issue. We are hopeful that we will be able to resolve the issue,” he further said.
The tussle between the two veteran leaders have become a headache for the Congress with just a few months left for the Rajasthan election.
On Tuesday, Congress general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said Kharge and Gandhi had recently talked to CM Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Delhi in which both the Rajasthan leaders “agreed to work unitedly”.
“Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi listened to both of them carefully and both were told that they are the assets of the Congress… Both said that they will work together,” PTI quoted Randhawa as saying.
Randhawa said that 90 per cent of the matter was resolved.
There is intense speculation that Pilot may announce plans or give a clear indication on his way forward on June 11 when he marks his father’s death anniversary in Dausa.