Pilot ‘supporters’ threaten to disrupt Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan

• Sachin Pilot enjoys significant influence among the Gurjar community
• ‘The BJP may try to create disturbances…but it is ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and it will be successful’
• Gurjar Arakshan Sangharh Samiti (GASS) leader Vijay Singh Bainsla has issued a threat to disrupt the rally in Rajasthan

Infighting in the Rajasthan unit of Congress party continues as “supporters” of Sachin Pilot threatened to boycott Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra if their leader (Pilot) is not made the Chief Minister of the state.

Sachin Pilot, however, distanced himself from such a demand, largely being made by the Gurjar community to which the youth leader belonged. He accused the BJP of trying to create “disturbances”. “No matter how hard the BJP tries, the yatra will be successful,” Pilot said when asked about Bainsla’s threat.

“The BJP may try to create disturbances…but it is ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and it will be successful. We will all welcome the yatra with unity,” he was quoted by Outlook as saying.

Gurjar Arakshan Sangharh Samiti (GASS) leader Vijay Singh Bainsla has issued a threat to disrupt the rally in Rajasthan. Bainsla has also accused the Congress government of not fulfilling the promises made to the community.

Pilot enjoys significant influence among the Gurjar community. He said the Congress was reduced to 21 seats in the 2013 assembly elections, but the Gurjar community gave it a mandate in the 2018 elections. Pilot, a former Deputy Chief Minister, further said he was confident that the yatra will be “historic” and that the people are excited.  He added, “People from all communities want the yatra to come to the state. From here, it will be a new beginning for the Congress…for elections and for the people of the state.”

Pilot, who attended the meeting at the war room briefly, said the yatra is expected to enter Rajasthan between December 3 and 6, but the exact date will be fixed later.

He added, “The yatra will be taken out for 15-18 days and will culminate with a rally in Alwar. It will be a big rally in view of the assembly elections next year and will give a positive message.”

The Gurjar community constitutes 5-6 per cent of Rajasthan’s population and is influential in over 40 seats, mainly in eastern Rajasthan. This region includes the districts from where the yatra is scheduled to pass.

Infighting between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot over the post of chief ministers has been going on for long, an issue which has triggered two political crises in four years of the Congress government, reported the Outlook.

Notably, in 2020, Pilot and 18 of his loyalist MLAs had rebelled against Gehlot and had camped away seeking a change of guard in Rajasthan. However, the rebellion failed and Pilot returned to the Congress fold and lost his Deputy CM post.