Political reactions have started coming on the new chemistry of Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, who appear to have buried the hatchet after a long time in Rajasthan politics. The most sharp jibe on this has been made by Jodhpur MP and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
He said that when a relationship has to be expressed in words, it raises questions on the depth of the relationship. Linking it to the relationship of husband and wife, he quipped that when both of them themselves start saying that there is love between them, the picture becomes clear automatically.
Shekhawat was on a visit to Jodhpur on Wednesday, where he shared information about the elevated road project. He took a dig at the recent attempts to show warmth in political relations between Gehlot and Pilot. He said that if two leaders of the same party are forced to say that there is unity between them, then it is obvious that the matter is still not completely clear. He compared it to the situation of a husband-wife relationship, when they themselves start saying that there is love between them.
We have to look ahead: Pilot
Meanwhile, in a major display of political reconciliation, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his one-time deputy Sachin Pilot showed signs of burying their past differences at a memorial event on the 25th death anniversary of late Union minister Rajesh Pilot in Dausa on Wednesday.
Standing together at an exhibition highlighting Pilot's late father's legacy, Gehlot warmly responded to a media query, "When were we ever apart? We were never apart. Love and affection remain and will continue to remain. (Hum door kab the? Hum door the hi nahi. Prem mohabbat bani rahti hai aur bani rahegi)"
The statement marked a dramatic shift from the bitter political rivalry that had characterised their relationship, particularly following Pilot's 2020 rebellion that nearly toppled the Congress govt under Gehlot in Rajasthan.
Pilot responded diplomatically, suggesting it was time to move forward: "Raat gayi, baat gayi. Kisne kya bola, kya nahi bola — it's all in the past. Time won't come back. We have to look ahead." He emphasised the need for unity within the party, particularly in facing the challenges posed by the governing party BJP. "These are challenging times. We must come together to defend our (constitutional) institutions and collectively confront BJP," Pilot urged.
Prakash Kumar Pandey