How a Sachin pilot will fit into the matrix is a challenge that the BJP faces.
New Delhi:
As Congress faces a storm in the Rajasthan desert, where the struggle between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot has intensified, the BJP is playing it by ear, sources say. The party has decided that the feud between the first two of Congress, which provides fertile ground for a coup, should continue its course.
BJP sources told GalacticGaming that they would like to wait to see how the meeting of Congress legislators convened by the Prime Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, will take place tomorrow morning. “The next big step for the BJP will be based on those absent from the meeting,” said a source.
Three Congressmen deemed loyal to Sachin Pilot appear to have vacillated; they went haywire talking about defection, claiming that they remained soldiers of Congress.
The BJP did the math. It has 76 deputies in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly and to form the government the party will need the support of at least 25 other deputies. But the BJP is considering 10 other deputies as a buffer.
“If 30 to 35 congressmen pledge to support Sachin Pilot, the BJP will reflect on its next action plan for the state of Rajasthan,” the source said.
The BJP has entrusted a former MP from Rajasthan, Bhupendra Yadav, with the task of closely monitoring the situation. The chief architect of the BJP takeover in Madhya Pradesh in March, Jyotiraditya Scindia, could also play a crucial role in liaising with his former colleague Sachin Pilot.
Earlier on Sunday, Jyotiraditya tweeted on Sachin Pilot: “Sad to see my former colleague Sachin Pilot also, sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan’s chief minister, Ashok Gehlot. Shows that talent and ability are scarce credit to Congress “
The BJP is also exploring negotiations with the 10 independent MPs who strongly support the Ashok Gehlot government for now.
Sources say that the BJP’s strategy of prudence is explained by two factors: personality and number.
The BJP has 76 deputies while the majority is 101. Until the last count, the Congress had the support of 121 deputies, 20 more than the majority.
This is far from the situation in Madhya Pradesh, where the difference between Congress and the BJP was very slight.
If he has the chance to form government, the BJP must also face strong candidates for the post of chief minister in the party – former chief minister Vasundhara Raje for one.
How a Sachin pilot will fit into the matrix is a challenge that the BJP faces. Ms. Raje has had her share of conflicts with the central leadership of the BJP, but among the deputies of Rajasthan, she remains the tallest and most popular leader.
Sachin Pilot has been monitoring since March, sources say, around the same time that Jyotiraditya Scindia moved to BJP.
BJP sources say that if and when Sachin Pilot accepts the terms offered to it, the party expects loyal MPs to resign – just as happened in Madhya Pradesh.
The BJP also plans to emphasize a political vendetta against chief minister Gehlot by highlighting the arrest of two BJP leaders accused of trying to attract money from congressmen.
