Rajasthan Elections / First father, now son... Congress insults Gujjars - PM Modi?

Rajasthan Elections: Voting for the assembly elections is to be held in Rajasthan on 25th November and the election campaign has ended on Thursday evening. During a rally in Rajasthan on the last day of campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of Gurjar community by mentioning veteran Congress leader Rajesh Pilot. Recalling an old political incident, PM Modi said that the son of Gurjar community struggles and achieves a position in politics, but after gaining power, he does not get a respectable place. He said that Congress always insulted Gujjars in the state. First Rajesh Payal was insulted and now it is happening with Sachin Pilot.

Prime Minister Modi is continuously raising the issue of discrimination and insult to Gujjars during the election campaign in Rajasthan. On Wednesday he had raised this issue in Bhilwara, then while addressing the public meeting in Devgarh on Thursday, PM Modi also raised the issue of Gujjars loudly. He said – 'They did the same with late Rajesh Pilot ji and are doing the same with his son also. The first generation of Rajasthan has also seen the insult that Congress has shown to the Gujjars and today's generation is also seeing it.

Mention of insult to Gurjar community on election occasion

There is a long story as to why Prime Minister Modi is repeatedly mentioning the discrimination faced by Gujjars. This story is related to the politics of Rajasthan. Rajesh Pilot belonged to Gurjar community. He had won in Dausa in 1998 against all adverse circumstances. At that time there was BJP government in the state. Rajesh Pilot was an experienced leader. He served in the Indian Defense Forces and later entered politics. He was also close to former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi. He had huge public support in Rajasthan and its impact was on the entire Hindi belt.

But later Rajesh Pilot had a rift with the Gandhi family. In the year 1997, he also stood in the election against Sitaram Kesari for the post of party president. He also had enmity with Ashok Gehlot who was close to the Gandhi family. He also got benefit from this. Gandhi family gave full opportunity to Ashok Gehlot to emerge in the politics of the state. Gehlot also took the responsibility openly. On the contrary, Rajesh Pilot remained sidelined.

‘That’ story of Rajesh Pilot vs Ashok Gehlot

Rajesh Pilot was the Communications Minister at the Center at that time. He was to inaugurate the main post office in Jodhpur. At that time Gehlot used to be the MP of Jodhpur. Gehlot was not sent an invitation to that program. After which Gehlot supporters got angry. In the program he directly asked Rajesh Pilot where our MPs were, they were nowhere to be seen. On this, Rajesh Pilot taunted and said – Poor Gehlot must be somewhere here.

After this incident, the cold war between the two leaders increased. Both were from Rajasthan, both were veteran leaders, hence the cold war continued during their lives. It is said that both had become a political threat to each other. The conflict between the two leaders was increasing.

That year, Congress came to power in Rajasthan by winning 153 seats. The name of Ashok Gehlot was agreed upon for the Chief Minister. The high command approved. At that time Ashok Gehlot was the MP and PCC Chief from Jodhpur, not an MLA. Despite this, the high command wanted to make him the Chief Minister. On this occasion, everyone from Shivcharan Mathur to Parasram Maderna was put forward for the post of CM, even Rajesh Pilot had supported the anti-Ashok Gehlot group, yet Ashok Gehlot was made the Chief Minister.

Rajesh Pilot won Dausa by his bravery

His differences with the Congress high command started during the elections of 1998 and 1999. Rajesh Pilot won the 1999 elections in Dausa by a margin of 10,000 votes. It is said that there was an internal assassination attempt to defeat Rajesh Pilot but he won with his bravery. It is also said that the influence of the so-called 'magician' was behind this. Ashok Gehlot is called the ‘magician’ in Rajasthan politics.

Ashok Gehlot's antipathy towards Rajesh Pilot became more clear when he did not attend the memorial program organized in his honour. His opposition to the pilot continued further. This is being seen from Rajesh Pilot till Sachin Pilot. In the last several years, differences between the two leaders have been coming to the fore. However, the high command also intervened, after which a reconciliation could be achieved between the two. But the differences between the two did not go away.

Sachin Pilot also had to suffer loss

Rajesh Pilot's son Sachin Pilot also had to sacrifice his political ambitions. Sachin Pilot worked hard for the 2018 assembly elections. He was the state president. Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot together uprooted the Vasundhara Raje government but when it came to the post of CM, Gehlot's magic worked and he was successful in convincing the high command. Disappointed Sachin Pilot was made Deputy CM. But the chemistry between the two was not visible far and wide. The situation reached such a stage that Sachin Pilot once reached Gurugram from Jaipur with his supporting MLAs.

There was discussion that he was forming the government with BJP, however Gehlot was successful in saving his government. The party again united both the leaders and now Congress is contesting the elections together. However, the conflict between Gehlot and Pilot camps often comes out openly. BJP is also openly raising this issue and now PM Modi has also cornered Congress on the pretext of Rajesh Pilot and Sachin Pilot just before the elections.