Ashok Gehlot hopeful he and Sachin Pilot will work together, stresses on ‘patience’

NEW DELHI —Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday expressed the hope that he and his bete noire Sachin Pilot would work together and win the assembly polls in the state later this year, and called upon Congress workers and leaders to exercise “patience” and wait for their opportunity to serve in some capacity.

His statement comes a day after the two Rajasthan bigwigs met the Congress leadership here and the party projected unity among them to take on the BJP in the state elections later this year.

“I remember the words of Sonia Gandhi who at the Congress convention had asked party workers to have patience and they would get to serve the party in some way. I keep this in my heart and tell partymen to have patience. They would get the opportunity to serve the party in some way. So I call for patience, patience, patience” he said.

He expressed confidence he and Pilot would work together after they agreed on a truce before the party high command.

“If he (Sachin Pilot) is in the party then why won’t he do this,” Gehlot told reporters when asked if he expects Pilot to work with him now. “It is for the high command to decide what role one plays. It is not up to us, it is up to the high command to give the role”.

“For me, any position is not important. I have been a chief minister thrice in Rajasthan and as many times a central minister. It matters being three times chief minister and three times central minister. Today, it is my duty to do what the high command wants me to — and that is to win the election,” the chief minister said.

He was speaking to the media a day after the Congress leadership led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former chief Rahul Gandhi held long deliberations with both the leaders in Rajasthan to put an end to the infghting in the state unit.

Gehlot said that after the Congress came to power in Rajasthan he worked for the welfare of the people of the state. “The entire Rajasthan knows. what kind of governance we have provided in the last five years after our victory and I have done what I could.”

The chief minister said he has worked towards resolving problems of all sections of society be it farmers, youth, women, labourers, SC/ST/OBC or minorities.

“I feel I have succeeded this time and I feel our government will be repeated. But, the public is the king as it is the people who will decide and it is acceptable to me. There is a lot of enthusiasm among people and I feel that when I meet people,” he said.

Gehlot alleged the BJP may spend a lot of money in “spreading falsehood” “but, I feel there is nothing for them to speak against our government this time.”

Amid a festering leadership tussle in the Congress’ Rajasthan unit, the party Monday said 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.

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