CM Gehlot's veiled ‘patience’ message for Sachin Pilot: ‘You win trust by…’

Amid Congress's effort to put a united face in Rajasthan ahead of the assembly elections, chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday underlined former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's earlier remark at the party's national convention to stress that “one who keeps patience gets a chance someday.” Gehlot insisted that being a three-time CM the position is not more important than fulfilling his duty assigned by the party's high command, which he said was to win the election.

The Congress party on Monday said that Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot have agreed to fight the upcoming assembly elections unitedly and have left all issues to be resolved by the party high command. The announcement came after the top Congress leadership, led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, held marathon discussions with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot.

When asked if Gehlot believed Pilot would work together, the chief minister replied, “Why won't he? If he is in the party, why won't he?”

The reporters pressed Gehlot to spill beans on the role Pilot would be taking up in Rajasthan, to which the veteran Congress leader said, “It's not for me to decide on the role. It's for the party high command to decide.”

He added, “The position is not important to me, I have been the CM thrice. Today it's my duty to do the work that the high command wants, which is to win the election.”

Gehlot said the Congress-led government in Rajasthan will be repeated if everyone will walk together.

Without taking Pilot's name, the CM said, “You win trust by giving trust. If everyone will walk together then our government will be repeated. If you will remain loyal to the party then as Sonia Gandhi had said in the Convention that the one who keeps patience gets a chance someday.”

Pilot has been attacking the Gehlot government over the issue of inaction on alleged corruption during the previous BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje and has been vocal against his own party's chief minister. Kharge and Gandhi are holding parleys with leaders of poll-bound states to evolve the party's strategy for the assembly elections and corner the BJP.

(With PTI inputs)