Expect you to respect workers with whose hard work govt was formed: Pilot to new Rajasthan Cong chief

New Delhi/Jaipur, July 29: Sachin Pilot, who rebelled against the Ashok Gehlot government, congratulated Govind Singh Dotasra on Wednesday for taking charge as the Rajasthan Congress president, saying he expects the new chief will work without prejudice and treat with respect the workers with whose hard work the government has been formed.

Dotasra, who on Wednesday formally took over as the new president of the Rajasthan Congress, was appointed to the post after Pilot was sacked as the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief and the deputy chief minister following accusations that he tried to topple the Congress government in the state as part of a "BJP conspiracy".

"Congratulations to Govind Dotasra ji on assuming the charge of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief. I expect that without any pressure or prejudice, you will give full respect to those workers with whose hard work the government has been formed," Pilot said in a tweet in Hindi.

In his response, Dotasra said he hoped that Pilot would come to Jaipur leaving the hospitality of the BJP and stand with the Congress government.

"Thank you very much Sachin ji. I also hope that you will leave the hospitality of BJP and Khattar government and come to Jaipur to stand with the Congress government for maintaining the honour of all those Congress workers whose hard work has formed the government," he tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Pilot extended birthday wishes to Rajasthan Speaker C P Joshi.

"Best wishes to Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi on his birthday. I pray for his health and long life," the Congress leader tweeted in Hindi.

Pilot''s tweets come amid a power struggle between him and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Pilot and 18 rebel MLAs are waiting for the high court''s decision on their challenge to the speaker''s disqualification notices two weeks ago.

Pilot has the support of 18 dissident Congress MLAs. Altogether, the Congress has 107 MLAs in the 200-member assembly and the BJP 72.