'My driver informed me that the Congress had withdrawn support’

The first answer Congress Working Committee member and former Union minister Rajesh Pilot gave on the Rediff Chat demolished Congress chief Sitaram Kesri’s claim that he had informed all CWC members before the party withdrew support to the United Front government on Sunday.

"I was away on a North-East tour and I came to know about the working committee’s decision when I landed at Palam airport… You will be surprised that it was a driver of mine who happens to be in Delhi Police who informed me that the Congress had withdrawn support…

"Unfortunately, I bullshited him by saying: ‘You bugger, don’t spread rumours; do you think this could happen without my knowledge?’ And later on, I apologised to him after I reached home and learnt about it (all) from my staff.

"After I reached Delhi, I said although this decision has been taken by the Congress president and other colleagues of mine… I said I would be very happy if the Congress forms the government but we should tell the nation how we are forming the government in a transparent manner… That is the Congress culture. Since then I am watching the situation."

To another question about why Kesri had not informed him about the gameplan, he admitted again, "Yes, it is a fact that I was kept uninformed about this decision." But he felt that in a democracy, a majority opinion takes precedence. "So I thought I would give my feelings to the Congress president" and then render the party whatever help he could.

"I really do not know what was the urgency and the discussion of the 30th March working committee in which I was not present," Pilot said.

This statement gives the lie to claims by Kesri and senior Congress leader K Karunakaran that leaders like Pilot and Sharad Pawar knew of the party’s decision to withdraw support to the government.

Pilot is the second senior party leader to claim Kesri had not informed him before withdrawing support. Earlier, former defence minister Sharad Pawar had said it had come to him like a "bolt from the blue". Another senior leader, K Karunakaran, pointed out that Kesri had met Pawar and other leaders to discuss the matter last Friday. But Pawar did not want withdrawal of support and allegedly left in a huff. "Why would I have been in Pune if I knew of this," he had asked.

Pilot said the party could have formed the government even earlier.

"To tell you very frankly, in May 1996, after the general election, many UF leaders offered to support us if we change the leadership of (P V Narasimha) Rao. But that time Rao was adamant. And Kesriji supported him. I opposed Rao and requested that if the UF was supporting us we should consider forming the government," he said.

Read the Rajesh Pilot Chat transcript