Jaipur, March 13: Days after Jyotiraditya Scindia's exit, it is learnt that the Congress government in Rajasthan spent a little over Rs 25 crore between December 2018 and November 2019 on official advertisements, but they only carried pictures of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot's picture did not feature in any of these ads, The Indian Express reported on Friday. Many see it as an indication of increasing discontent between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot. Jyotiraditya Scindia's Exit from Congress Unfortunate, Wish Things Could Have Been Resolved Within Party: Sachin Pilot.

Replying to an RTI application, the Information and Public Relation Department said the state government spent Rs 25.08 crore on 62 advertisements on various occasions between December 17, 2018, and November 11, 2019. The applicant had also sought specific details and the total expenditure on government advertisements carrying the photographs of Gehlot and Pilot. While the government revealed the cost of ads with Gehlot's picture, but as regarding Pilot, it said nil. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Calls Jyotiraditya Scindia 'Opportunist', Says 'Should Have Left Earlier'.

While CM Gehlot maintained that the advertisements were published as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, his deputy did not react to it. The report assumes significance as parallels have been drawn between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where Congress's young brigade is up against the old guard. In Madhya Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging he was being sidelined by Chief Minister Kamal Nath and veteran Digvijaya Singh.

In Rajasthan too, CM Gehlot and Pilot have sparred on several occasions. However, Congress has tried to balance power equations by appointing Pilot as Deputy CM and allowing him to continue as president of the state Congress. After Scindia's exit, many said Pilot would follow soon.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 13, 2020 03:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).