A day after the Congress party in Rajasthan sacked Sachin Pilot from the positions of deputy chief minister and state party president, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, on Wednesday, 15 July, while taking a veiled dig at ex-dy CM, said speaking good English and being handsome is not enough.
“Speaking good English, giving good bytes and being handsome isn’t everything. What is inside your heart for the country, your ideology, policies, and commitment, everything is considered.”Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan CM as quoted by ANI
He added that he has been in politics for 40 years, and he “loves” the new generation, the future will be theirs.
“This new generation, they have become central ministers, state presidents. If they had gone through what we did in our time, they would have understood,” Gehlot added.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the three-time chief minister of the state had blamed BJP for fuelling crisis in the state, and said, "There is nothing in Sachin Pilot's hands, it is the BJP which is running the show."
On Wednesday, he told the media that he has proof that BJP is indulged in horse-trading in the state's capital city Jaipur.
It is yet to be seen if the Congress party will disqualify the MLAs who switched camp and showed support to Pilot.
You can read all the live updates on Rajasthan's political turmoil here.
'Not Joining the BJP, Still a Congress Member': Pilot
Gehlot's comments come amid many news reports quoting Sachin Pilot as saying that he won't be joining the BJP.
Ever since Pilot's open rebellion against Gehlot, speculations about him crossing over to the BJP and taking his party's ex-member Jyotiraditya Scindia's route have been rising.
A video released by Pilot's office on Monday to show that he has support of at least 15 MLAs, too, had indicated that Pilot has the intention of putting Gehlot camp on the brink.
However, his comments on Wednesday to various media houses have puzzled many and hinted that his journey with the Congress may not yet be over.
"Some leaders in Rajasthan are trying to fuel speculation that I am joining the BJP, but I am not doing so... I have worked very hard to bring the Congress back in government in Rajasthan," the 42-year-old MLA from Tonk told news agency PTI.
In another interview to NDTV, he said, "Attempts to link me to the BJP are to malign me in the eyes of the Congress high-command," adding that he is still a member of the Congress.
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