New Delhi, Dec 21 (IT): There was more fighting on the television screens than in real, said Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Sachin Pilot when asked if there was any bitterness in the party following the swearing-in of Ashok Gehlot as the chief minister of the state.
Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot were both in contention for the top post of the state and after much deliberation, the latter was anointed as the state head.
Pilot is said to have fought till the end, but lost to Gehlot. "I am a very optimistic person and what ever role I am given, as soon as I am assigned the role I do it with full dedication. And this is what I am going to do with the role of the deputy too," he replied to India Today TV's Rajdeep Sardesai in an exclusive interview.
Pilot has been touted as the reason behind Congress's victory in Rajasthan -- his gruelling tours to every nook and corner of the state and the youth appeal are said to have made the deal. In the run up to the swearing-in ceremony, the Pilot camp held demonstrations and blocked highways as a mark of agitation to bring him in as the chief minister.
But since he was made the deputy, speculation has been rife that the Rajasthan Congress was heading for a rift.
"There was more fighting on the television screens than in real. There is no bitterness in the party," Pilot said.
When asked if he would be made the chief minister of the state after the general election next year as a part of a "deal" or "strategy", Pilot said, "There are no deals in politics. Everything is real-time. Whatever the situation demands, the party does that. The party made a decision. That is our decision. There is no strategy involved."
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin recently stirred the hornet's nest by endorsing Congress chief Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister face -- much to the chagrin of its own allies - the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Samajwadi Party and the others.
Pilot, however, refused to comment on the issue.
"The decision will be taken when the time comes," he said.
The newly formed Rajasthan government has already announced farm loan waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh -- within few days of assuming power. Deliberations within the party, however, are still continuing over the Cabinet formation and expansion.