Both Leaders Are Congress Assets: Rahul Gandhi After Ashok Gehlot Called Sachin Pilot 'Traitor'

Days after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot called Sachin Pilot a "traitor", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said both leaders are assets to the party.

Rahul's comment follows Gehlot's interview to NDTV in which he called Pilot a traitor and said a person who has been a traitor in the past cannot be made chief minister.

"A gaddar (traitor) cannot be Chief Minister. The High Command cannot make Sachin Pilot the Chief Minister… a man who doesn't have 10 MLAs. Who revolted. He betrayed the party, (he) is a traitor," said Gehlot.

Rahul on Monday said, "It will not affect the yatra and both the leaders are assets to the Congress party."

Pilot was the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan and Rajasthan Congress chief in 2020 when he rebelled against Gehlot's government and camped out of state with his loyalist MLAs. The rebellion eventually failed and Pilot returned to the Congress fold. However, he was removed from the posts of Deputy CM and state party president. 

Though the immediate crisis was resolved in 2020, Gehlot and Pilot have been lodged in tussle since then, which was recently visible during the Congress party chief's election. It is understood that the Congress high command wished Gehlot to contest the presidential election and make Pilot the Chief Minister of Rajasthan once Gehlot was elected. This is rooted in the Congress party's one person-one post rule. However, Gehlot loyaliss did not let it happen.

Besides saying both Gehlot and Pilot are assets for the Congress party, Rahul said the decision to contest from Amethi in the 2024 general elections will be taken after a year or more and the current focus is on the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Amethi was Rahul's traditional seat until 2019 elections when he lost it. 

Rahul further said concentration of wealth among three-four industrialists is major reason for unemployment in country.

(With PTI inputs)