Jaipur: On Wednesday, Sachin Pilot made it apparent that the Ashok Gehlot government will not be able to convince him to back down from his demands, despite the Congress leadership's claims to the contrary a few days before.
On a visit to his Tonk assembly constituency, the dissident Congress leader indicated that it was the last day before what was being seen as an ultimatum to Gehlot ends.
Let's see what happens tomorrow, he informed the press.
Pilot held a daylong fast a few weeks ago demanding action from the state government against "corruption" during the previous BJP tenure in the state, which worsened the rivalry between the chief minister and his former deputy.
Later, after a five-day march, he indicated that if this and his other two demands aren't granted by the end of the month, he will begin agitation across the state.
On Monday, the two leaders from Rajasthan met with Congress head Mallikarjun Kharge and former party president Rahul Gandhi. They claimed to have made a pact to cooperate with one another.
However, Pilot said in Tonk that he will not budge from his position.
"I want to reiterate that action will have to be taken on the concerns that I had addressed, particularly the corruption issue—vast corruption and looting in the previous BJP regime.
Pilot said, "as far as getting justice for the youth is concerned, I think there is no possibility of any compromise on it," referring to the postponement of government employment tests due to paper leaks.
He recalled that today was the "last day of the month" and recalled that on May 15 he had urged the state administration to address corruption by the BJP government and young people.
Pilot has stated his impatience with the Gehlot administration's inaction.
There were discussions in Delhi the day before. They (the leadership) stated the state government should take action. So, he said, "let's see what happens tomorrow."
On Monday, Congress officials tried to give the impression that the leadership dispute within the party's Rajasthan chapter had been resolved.
There were rumours that the party had figured out a way for the two state leaders to cooperate and run in the upcoming assembly elections as a single ticket.
Pilot argued that the improved performance of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) will result from filling open positions within the organisation.
He noted that young people who must rely on rented housing to study for competitive exams often suffer as a result of the leak of exam materials. He argued that the applicants should be compensated monetarily in such cases.
Referring to the recent victory of the Congress in the Karnataka Assembly elections, he claimed that the BJP had failed because it had "deceived" the public on numerous occasions.
Double engines are mentioned. The engines, however, have just been seizing," Pilot stated. The BJP utilises the "double engine" metaphor to argue that when they control both the state and the federal governments, progress is made.
That the BJP government in Karnataka was corrupt and run on a "40 percent commission" was an accusation levelled by the Congress, as stated by Pilot. He argued that the voters who sent the Congress to Washington were in agreement with him.
Pilot concluded his five-day 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' in Jaipur with three demands: a high-level investigation into corruption allegations against the previous Vasundhara Raje government; compensation for young people negatively impacted by the leak of exam papers; and the reconstitution of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC).—Inputs from Agencies
