Sachin Pilot, a leader of the Indian National Congress, defied warnings from senior members of his party and went ahead with a one-day protest fast in Jaipur. The fast, aimed at his party rival Ashok Gehlot, was held at the "Shaheed Smarak Sthal" and targeted corruption allegations against Vasundhara Raje of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that Pilot claims have been ignored by Gehlot's government.
The fast has embarrassed the ruling Congress party just months ahead of the assembly election. Pilot's move has been seen as an attempt to pressure the Congress leadership to settle the issue of who will be the key face of the party in Rajasthan during the election year. Pilot has been eyeing the Chief Minister's post for some time.
Despite warnings from the Congress party, Pilot went ahead with his fast, sitting in front of a backdrop of Mahatma Gandhi. The Rajasthan in-charge of Congress, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, said that the fast was against the party's interests and amounted to anti-party activity. He urged Pilot to discuss the issue with party officials instead of bringing it to the media and public.
The Gehlot government has denied Pilot's allegations of inaction. Despite this, Pilot has continued to demand action against corruption. Randhawa, who has been in touch with Pilot, called for calm dialogue, acknowledging that Pilot is an important asset to the Congress party. Sachin Pilot holds sway over the politically significant Gujjar community votes and any open revolt might affect the party's prospects in assembly polls to be held later this year.
