Did not oppose nomination of any winnable candidate, even those accused of indiscipline: Sachin Pilot

Jaipur: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday said he had not opposed the nomination of any winnable candidate, including those accused of indiscipline in September last year, for the November 25 Rajasthan assembly polls.

His remarks came hours after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said in Delhi that he had not opposed giving tickets to Pilot's supporters. Gehlot and Pilot has been engaged in a leadership tussle in Rajasthan.

Talking to reporters in Dausa, Pilot said he welcomed with an open heart proposals from all deserving and winnable candidates, even those who were involved in indiscipline last year and those who had disobeyed former party chief Sonia Gandhi.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal, then chief whip Mahesh Joshi and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) chairman Dharmendra Rathore were served notice by the party for indiscipline after Congress MLAs of the Gehlot camp skipped a Congress Legislature Party meeting called at the chief minister's residence in Jaipur in September last year and held a parallel meeting at Dhariwal's residence to oppose any move of the party to appoint Pilot as the chief minister.

Gehlot was in the race for the Congress president post at that time.

On the selection of candidates, Pilot said that all leaders have tried to take a collective decision in the interest of the party and it will become clear soon who will contest from which seat.

Pilot was in Dausa to review the preparations for a public meeting to be addressed by party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday.

He referred to Gehlot's statement earlier in the day that there is "love" among leaders in the party.

"Have you not heard what the chief minister said? Opponents are scared of the love and affection that has become an example within us. We have some experience of working together," he said, when asked whether he had forgotten the words which were used by the chief minister when he had rebelled against him in 2020.

He continued, "As far as tickets are concerned, whatever incidents happened last year, some were accused of indiscipline in the party, whether action was taken against them or not, but I welcomed with an open heart all those who are winnable. What could be a greater example of mutual love than this?"

When asked who will become the chief minister if the Congress forms the government, he said that it is for the elected candidates to decide the name and then the party high command takes the call to appoint the chief minister.

"This happens in Congress party in every state. This also happened in 2018,” he said.

On Gehlot's statement that he wants to quit the post of the CM but the post was not leaving him and probably it will not leave in future as well, he said he has not heard what Gehlot has commented but it is for the party high command to decide who will serve where, in Delhi or Jaipur, or in the party organisation or the government.

He also expressed confidence that the Congress party will form the government in the state again.