Raj Assembly poll: Will Yogi campaign for BJP’s lone Muslim candidate? ask Pilot

JAIPUR: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday takes a dig at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asking if he would come to Tonk and campaign for Yoonus Khan, the sole Muslim candidate fielded by BJP for the December 7 assembly elections in Rajasthan.

“I will sit back and see whether Yogi Adityanath will come to Tonk to ask for votes for him (Khan) or not,” said the 41-year-old Congress leader while seeking votes while campaigning in the City.

Accusing the saffron party of playing politics of caste and religion, Pilot in his campaign speeches said, “There is a BJP government at the Centre and in the state. People had hoped for development. But it makes me very sad that for the first time (in the state) farmers had to commit suicide. This is a blot on our society,” he said.

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The party, according to political analysts, could be looking at carving a chunk of Muslim votes in Rajathan‘s Tonk segment which has around 55,000 Muslim voters but Pilot was confident of a Congress triumph.

“Jo aitihasik jeet Rajasthan me Congress ki hogi, mera man ye chahta hai usme sabse badi jeet Rajasthan me kahi ho to Tonk Vidhan Sabha kshetra me ho (As part of the historic victory of the Congress in Rajasthan, it is my desire that the biggest win in the state is from Tonk assembly constituency),” says Pilot, drawing cheers.

Pilot, who will take on Khan in a direct fight in Tonk, is being seen as Congress’ probable CM candidate although his party has not confirmed this. There have been reports of in-fighting within Congress – between Pilot and Ashok Gehlot, although both have denied these.

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A win in Tonk could put Pilot on the right path even as Congress maintains it is confident of returning to power in Rajasthan. The BJP, meanwhile, is confident of retaining power and has brought several leaders – including Adityanath – to its campaigns here.

“Jo aitihasik jeet Rajasthan me Congress ki hogi, mera man ye chahta hai usme sabse badi jeet Rajasthan me kahi ho to Tonk Vidhan Sabha kshetra me ho (As part of the historic victory of the Congress in Rajasthan, it is my desire that the biggest win in the state is from Tonk assembly constituency),” says Pilot, drawing cheers, reported The Indian Express.

With agency inputs