Outgoing Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot‘s officer on special duty (OSD) on Tuesday said the Congress government had carried out a surveillance on Sachin Pilot, when he along with his loyalist MLAs had rebelled in 2020.

“There was a political crisis in Rajasthan when Sachin Pilot along with 18 MLAs had gone to Manesar. It is quite natural that the government carries out a surveillance measures to track people a person in question is meeting. The government was on the verge of a collapse,” Lokesh Sharma told news agency ANI.

“We were constantly monitoring Pilot and the people associated with him and their meetings. He was being monitored so that corrective measures are taken.
It was due to this monitoring that we were able to bring some people back. Following a person was a part of monitoring,” Sharma added.

In June 2020, Pilot along with MLAs supporting him had revolted against Gehlot, triggering a political crisis in the state. The Gurjar leader’s rebellion had taken place months after the Congress had lost power in Madhya Pradesh after 23 MLAs had defected to the BJP.

Pilot and the MLAs were brought back to the party’s fold following timely intervention of the Congress high command. But the political crisis had aggravated the tensions between Pilot and Gehlot.

On December 3, the day Congress lost the assembly election in Rajasthan, Sharma had blamed Gehlot for the party’s defeat.

“I am hurt by the results, but not surprised. Undoubtedly, Congress could have changed the ‘Rivaz’ in Rajasthan but Ashok Gehlot ji never wanted any change. This is not the defeat of Congress but of Ashok Gehlot ji,” Sharma said on X.

He said the Congress fought the elections under Gehlot’s leadership while giving him a free hand and alleged that the chief minister was himself contesting on every seat in the state.

“Neither his experience nor magic worked and like every time, the Congress did not win with the help of his plans and campaign work. While being the CM for the third consecutive time, Gehlot once again brought the party to the margins,” Sharma said.