Even though the Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan concluded in April, the supporters of Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot still seem to be in campaigning mode, with both sides singing paeans and claiming that their favourite leader is more popular.
While the Pilot camp is claiming that the young leader’s popularity has risen tremendously, Gehlot’s followers are asserting that the seasoned Congressman still enjoys the trust and blessing of the high command and hence he was given charge of the Amethi seat as senior observer.
Pilot’s supporters are quite jubilant over the rising popularity of their leader among all sections of society in almost all states.
They have been sharing the details of his meetings with their family and friends with a sense of pride for choosing the 'right' leader with a strong future.
Sushil Asopa, former PCC Secretary in Rajasthan told IANS, “Apart from the Gandhi family and Congress President Kharge, Sachin Pilot is the only leader in the Congress who has a tremendous demand in every state. He has already held meetings in different states even as the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls was completed on Monday.
“The Congress has three Chief Ministers and a dozen former Chief Ministers but they, too, are not as much in demand in other states.”
Giving the numbers, he said, “Pilot has held around 98 election meetings in 14 states and covered around 51 Lok Sabha seats. This record is just awesome.”
Asopa added, “Pilot has covered states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, NCT of Delhi, Odisha, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.”
He did not stop here and said, “Former CM Ashok Gehlot has been unable to cover any other state in the country after being limited to Amethi in Uttar Pradesh as an observer.”
Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot’s supporters are gung-ho about his Amethi assignment.
Congress leader Varun Purohit, a known Gehlot supporter said that the former CM got the prestigious Amethi seat as an observer because of his close relationship with the Gandhi family and the trust that the party high command has in him.
He did not stop here and questioned why Pilot had been appointed as AICC observer for the North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat from where former JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar is contesting.
However, Asopa asserted that Pilot got North East Delhi as he is a young leader and has been nurturing young leadership across the nation.
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