The exit of Congress leader Jitin Prasada set off speculation of Sachin Pilot jumping ship to join the Bharatiya Janata Party next. Prasada’s departure came in the latest of influential young leaders quitting the Congress for the BJP. Soon after Prasada quit, reports quoted Rita Bahuguna Joshi as saying that she had spoken to Sachin Pilot and he may soon join the BJP as he is being mistreated by the Congress.
Responding to Joshi’s claim, former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot said that the BJP doesn’t dare to speak to him. “Maine bhi suna hai ki Rita Bahuguna Joshi ne kaha hai ki unhone Sachin se baat ki hai. Ho sakta hai unhone Sachin Tendulkar se baat ki ho. Unki mujhse baat karne ki himmat nahi hai (I have heard Rita Bahuguna Joshi has said that she has spoken with Sachin. It is possible that she might have spoken with Sachin Tendulkar. She doesn’t have the courage to speak with me),” said Pilot.
Pilot also rubbished the claim that he is going to join the BJP. He made the remarks during a protest by the Congress. The party is protesting across the country over rising fuel prices.
Many Congress MLAs who extended their support to Pilot during the last year’s political crisis were present with him.
While Jitin Prasada had joined the BJP on June 9, Rita Bahuguna Joshi had switched to the BJP in 2016. Both the leaders have worked for the Congress for more than two decades.
Jyotiraditya Scindia had joined the BJP last year and was said to be the first big young face of the party to desert them. With Jitin Prasada jumping the ship, it was being speculated again that Pilot will also join the BJP. Pilot had an open spat with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot last year.
Though the Congress leadership brokered a truce and formed a committee in August last year to address the issues, not much has changed even after almost a year had passed.
