Gehlot-Pilot tussle: Congress won't shy away from taking 'tough decisions' to strengthen organisation, says Jairam Ramesh

For the Congress, its organisation in Rajasthan is most important, Jairam Ramesh said

Amid the power tussle between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said if needed, the party will not shy away from taking “tough decisions” to strengthen the organisation in that State.

For the Congress, its organisation in Rajasthan is most important, Mr. Ramesh, the party's general secretary in-charge of communications, told reporters in Indore during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Mr. Gehlot on Thursday told the NDTV channel that Mr. Pilot is a 'gaddar' (traitor) and cannot replace him, drawing a sharp response from his former deputy who said such "mud-slinging" would not help, in an escalation of their rift days ahead of the entry of Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' into the desert State.

Mr. Gehlot also said Mr. Pilot had revolted against the Congress in 2020 and alleged that he tried to topple the State government.

Mr. Pilot had hit back at Gehlot to say it was unbecoming of his stature to use the kind of language to attack him and make completely "false and baseless" allegations.

Asked about the tussle between Mr. Gehlot and Mr. Pilot, Mr. Ramesh on Sunday said, "The organisation is most important for us. On the issue of Rajasthan, we will decide on a solution which will strengthen our organisation."

"For this, if we have to take tough decisions, we will take. If a compromise has to be made (between the factions of Gehlot and Pilot), then it will be done,” he said.