On Ex Congress Leader Switching To BJP, Sachin Pilot Says...

Senior Congress leader and AICC general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh, Sachin Pilot, has refuted the allegations levelled by his former party colleague, Radhika Khera, and said that a leader needs "some reason" for changing their party.

Radhika Khera, who joined the BJP on Tuesday, alleged that she was "victimized" because she went to the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. She also criticized the Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Sachin Pilot, for their silence regarding the mistreatment faced by her.

In an interview with ANI, Sachin Pilot said, "If someone wants to change parties, they have to find some reason...whether it is a visit to some temple...a person will have to do something; they have to find a reason."

"Good luck to anybody who wants to shift party at any stage, it's up to their individual decision. As a party, we are fighting elections for a larger purpose, not for individual satisfaction," he added.

He said that this Lok Sabha election is "far bigger" than one individual, election, or party, and the voters have to make a big choice in the polls.

"This election is far bigger than one individual, one election, one party. This election is different in so many different ways. This election is really a choice of the voter to choose what's already been going on and if they need to course correct. This election is about having the strength of our democracy go deeper and stronger, as supposed to getting weakened," Sachin Pilot said.

Sachin Pilot served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan from 2018 to 2020 and President of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC). In the past, he was also the Minister of State under the UPA regime.

He further reiterated his claim 'BJP Dakshin Mein Saaf, Uttar Mein Half' and said that the Congress would win more seats than the BJP in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

The former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister said that the BJP wouldn't be able to get any foothold in the southern states, and its tally in the north would also come down.

"Irrespective of how many rallies they do, or how much money they pump into the campaign, I don't think BJP is going to get a foothold in southern India at all. In the north, they have maximized their seats in almost all the states...what goes up must come down. It's not possible they will win this many seats again," Sachin Pilot said.

"I am telling about two states -- Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, where I travelled extensively, we (Congress) will probably get more seats than the BJP...Also important, if not more, are states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh because those are states with a much larger number of seats. That's where the INDIA alliance partners and the Congress have to pull up our numbers," he added.

Sachin Pilot also slammed the BJP over its '400 Paar' slogan and asked why the party is inducting leaders from other parties. He also said there is a change in the speeches made by BJP leaders because they are sensing a change in voter's sentiments.

"A party that is claiming to get 400 seats, why is it breaking other parties? They have so many capable leaders, why do they need Congress or any other party's candidates? They (BJP) themselves level allegations on leaders, then themselves wash off the allegations, and induct them in the party," he said.

"I think this '400 Paar' is just political rhetoric, it is not rooted in reality, and more than me, BJP themselves realize that. That's why, their speeches have changed now...it's not what it was a month ago. That tells there is a palpable sense even among the ruling dispensation that people are yearning for a change," he added.

The Lok Sabha elections are being held across seven phases from April 19 to June 1, with the first three phases over and the fourth one scheduled on May 13. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP is seeking to return for a third straight term to power, the INDIA bloc is aiming to stop the decade-long juggernaut.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)