Sachin Pilot may have turned rebel in heat of the moment, says Congress MLA

Prashant Bairwa, Congress MLA from Niwai, is considered a Sachin Pilot loyalist and was among the four legislators who returned from Manesar to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s camp on July 11.

A Congress legislator loyal to Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Thursday that former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot could have had 40-45 MLAs with him if his suggestions were considered. The MLA also said Pilot may have taken the decision to go to Gurugram in the “heat of the moment”.

Rajasthan ‘s former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot was sacked as the party’s chief in the state in July.(HT FILE PHOTO)

Prashant Bairwa, Congress MLA from Niwai, told a local TV news channel that Sachin Pilot didn’t realize he had a big team. “It would have been better that he took advice from us. Somebody else was playing the games for him. He had a big team but he didn’t realize that,” Bairwa said.

The Niwai MLA is considered a Sachin Pilot loyalist and was among the four legislators who returned from Manesar to Gehlot camp on July 11. The four – Danish Abrar, Rohit Bohra, Prashant Bairwa and Chetan Dudi – addressed a press conference at the CM’s residence the same day to pledge their support to Gehlot.

Bairwa said the people Pilot is trusting will be the first ones to desert him. “He has well-wishers here also but all of us are with the Congress,” he said.

The Congress legislators said the BJP was involved in turning Pilot against the government. “If BJP was not involved, why were they staying in Gurugram under the watch of Haryana police? Now they have gone to Gujarat, which is also a BJP-ruled state,” he said.

Pilot has denied moving to Gujarat.

Bairwa claimed that some legislators from the Pilot camp were also keen to return to the government but they are not allowed. “The dissident MLAs have no freedom. It is possible that they want to return but are being stopped.”

When asked why Pilot did what he did, Bairwa said Pilot is short-tempered. “Even we were scared of him when he got angry. He may have taken the decision in the heat of the moment,” he said. “The Congress made him a Union minister and a big leader. He may have felt helpless.”

The MLA said he had an emotional attachment with Pilot and it will always be there “but when it comes to politics, he made his moves, I made mine.”

Govind Singh Dotasra who succeeded Pilot as the Congress chief in Rajasthan said, “What Bairwa is trying to say is that when Pilot was the state party chief all were with him but now that he joined hands with BJP, those who left with him are regretting.”

He also claimed that Pilot took the decision in anger and BJP is behind it.

BJP spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma said the allegations are baseless and the opposition party has nothing to do with the problem in the Congress. “It’s an internal fight resulting from lack of coordination among them,” he said.