Cong must play pivotal role around which all partners and allies can come together: Pilot on 2024 LS polls

Bengaluru: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday said his party must play the pivotal role around which all its partners and allies can come together to defeat the BJP-led NDA and win the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

He said the Congress winning the upcoming Assembly polls, especially in Hindi-speaking states later this year, is crucial for this to happen.

“The 2024 (Lok Sabha) polls are not far off, unless the Congress party wins in the states, it will not be easy for our alliance to win in 2024 polls. These Hindi speaking states- Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh- are important for us, we must win these states and then we will be a formidable challenge to defeat NDA in 2024,” Pilot said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, in 2019 despite Pulwama and all that, the NDA got 39 per cent votes, that means 61 per cent voters voted against them.

“The opposition parties must come together and the Congress must play the pivotal role around which all our partners and allies can come together. The winning streak will start now, we have started in Himachal, we will now win in the North East, then Karnataka, later our three states will come- we will win in all these places and in 2024 our alliance will win the election,” he added.

Expressing confidence that the Congress party will do well in Karnataka polls, Pilot said, here the people of the state are looking for a government that will work for them, that does not indulge in polarised politics, and the government that is theirs.

“There is no doubt in my mind that not only we will form the government, but we will have a single largest majority that the Congress party has ever secured and the government that is for the people of Karnataka,” he added.

Not willing to give any direct response to a question regarding him being CM face in Rajasthan, the former Deputy Chief Minister merely said he has given his suggestions to the party regarding winning the polls there, and feels that right decision will be taken at the right time.

“Regarding Rajasthan, whatever the decision has to be taken, it will be taken by the AICC and Congress leadership at the right time. The intention of all of us is that in 2023 Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh-three states will go for polls and the Congress should form the government,” he said Targeting the ruling BJP at the Centre, Pilot questioned the Union Government as to why it was shying away from JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) probe regarding the alleged stock manipulation and accounting fraud allegations against the firms of billionaire Gautam Adani.

“If the government doesn’t have anything to hide, I see no reason why a JPC cannot be constituted. The BJP has a majority in the Lok Sabha and majority members in the JPC will be from the BJP,” he said, adding that the government has failed to answer any question and is hiding itself from having a JPC.

Regarding the death of two Muslim men from Rajasthan, whose charred bodies were found in a car in Haryana after they were allegedly abducted by cow vigilantes, Pilot said, “As per my information, Haryana and Rajasthan police are jointly investigating the case, some arrests have also taken place. A fair probe will happen and whoever is involved in this heinous crime and action will be taken against them.”