Rajasthan political crisis: I am not joining BJP, says Sachin Pilot

The Congress yesterday announced that Sachin Pilot has been removed as Rajasthan deputy CM and PCC chief

New Delhi: Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Wednesday (July 15) said that he is "not" joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"I am not joining BJP," said Pilot in a telephonic conversation with a news agency.

The comments came a day after he was sacked as Rajasthan deputy chief minister and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief by the party.

The decision to sack Pilot was taken yesterday (July 14) after a CLP meeting at the Fairmont Hotel in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

At the meeting, as many as 102 MLAs unanimously demanded that Pilot should be removed from the party.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh lamented over Pilot's impatient behaviour and said, “Sachin Pilot was made an MP, a Central minister, Rajasthan party chief and deputy CM, what is his age? He is still young, he should have some patience. His actions have been against the party discipline. These youngsters do not have patience.”

Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande said, “May God give Sachin Pilot wisdom and he doesn't try to topple the government. He should admit his mistake. Doors were always open for him for talks, even today. But, now he seems to have moved ahead of all this, so these things don't matter now.”

The Rajasthan Congress is in turmoil over the past few days. While chief minister Ashok Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs, Pilot has been camping in Delhi.

A controversy broke out in Rajasthan after a special operation group (SOG) sent a notice to Pilot to record his statement in the case registered by SOG in the alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the state.