"As Pilot is a sincere Congressman, he will not quit the party. I am confident he will remain in the party and resolve the issues amicably," Shivakumar told reporters here, amid the crisis in the faction-ridden party's Rajasthan unit.

 

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to destabilise another Congress ruled state after it brought down its governments in Madhya Pradesh in mid-March and the coalition government in Karnataka in July 2019, Shivakumar said the saffron party was again luring Congress legislators with money and ministerial posts to reduce the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan to a minority as it did in the past.

 

"The BJP is continuing its operation kamal agenda to destabilise governments of opposition parties through undemocratic means. Though it (BJP) does not have numbers (legislators), it is trying to break our party and take away some of our MLAs to form its government even in Rajasthan," alleged Shivakumar.

 

"Our party has majority in the Rajasthan assembly, where 101 is the halfway mark for simple majority. The party also has support of 15 more legislators," asserted Shivakumar, who took over the reins of the party's state unit on July 2 here.

 

Lauding Pilot for rebuilding the party over the last 6-7 years to win the December 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections with majority, Shivakumar said the former was also the party's northern state unit president and son of a veteran Congress man (late Rajesh Pilot).

 

"I am sure the party's leaders will resolve the issues. I am not denying that there are no differences in a democratic party like ours. They will be sorted out," claimed Shivakumar, also known as the party's troubleshooter.