Congress fighting Rajasthan polls on development agenda: Sachin Pilot

As Rajasthan is set to vote on November 25 for 200 Assembly seats, political leaders have started fierce campaigning to woo voters to ensure their respective party form government in Jaipur. A panoply of issues is being peddled to suit political designs. Congress leader Sachin Pilot, in an exclusive interview with Priya Sahgal of NewsX, talked about how his party is taking the polls in the state and how it will woo voters. Excerpts:

Q: Congress has been ruling the state for the last five years under Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the Opposition BJP is saying that the ruling dispensation has utterly failed in meeting people’s aspirations. What do you want to say on this?
A: The BJP is habituated to spreading propaganda against the state government or the Opposition without any substantial proof and this is not the first time that the saffron party is doing. BJP does not generally raise development issues, but believes in sensationalising things like Ram Temple, beheading of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur, law and order situation. The BJP does this as it has nothing to do with the overall development of the state.

Q: The BJP says that Congress is divided in Rajasthan and it is going to form the government in the state and will change the destiny of the desert state.
A: BJP has been at the Centre for the last 9 years. Has it changed the destiny of country? BJP talked about the impact of the double-engine government. What happened in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka? Don’t you think the double-engine governments derailed in both the states? The BJP says something and does something else and thus, it is fully exposed.

Q: So, what is your message to the people of Rajasthan?
A: The message is clear and that is Congress believes in the overall development of the state. It does not believe in the polarisation of society on the basis of religion, caste, economic background, etc. It believes in delivering welfare schemes to people, believes in making roads, supplying electricity, and maintaining law and order. Thus, Congress works with a vision.

Q: Is Congress going to form government in Japur?
A: Definitely. It is seeking votes in the name of development that the Gehlot government has done in the last five years.