"Why is government 'afraid' of holding local body elections in Rajasthan?": Sachin Pilot

Tonk (Rajasthan) [India], July 25 (ANI): Congress MLA Sachin Pilot questioned the delay in holding local body elections in Rajasthan and alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was avoiding the polls due to internal conflicts.
Speaking to ANI during his visit to Tonk, Pilot also linked the recent resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to what he termed as ongoing turmoil within the BJP.
"The Prime Minister is busy touring, and the BJP is unable to decide on its party president. There is considerable internal conflict, and it appears that this is the reason why Vice President Dhankhar has resigned. They cannot even finalise a replacement for J.P. Nadda. When such things happen, governance suffers," he said.
On the Opposition's demand for a discussion on Operation Sindoor, Pilot said Parliament is the appropriate platform for such debates.
"The government should not avoid discussion. If we don't discuss matters in Parliament, then where else will we? Innocent people were killed in the Pahalgam attack. We supported the army and the government. But there must be a discussion, and the nation must be informed about what really happened," he added.
Earlier, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar had tendered his resignation on Monday evening, citing health reasons. In his resignation letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, he wrote, "To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution."
He sent his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu."To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the constitution," Dhankhar said in his letter.
"I extend my deepest gratitude to Your Excellency - the Hon'ble President of India for her unwavering support and the soothing, wonderful working relationship we maintained during my tenure," he added.
The Vice President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament, in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. Voting in such elections is by secret ballot.
The Electoral College to elect a person to the office of the Vice-President consists of all members of both Houses of Parliament.
An election to fill a vacancy caused by the expiry of the term of office of Vice-President is completed before the expiry of the term. In case a vacancy arises by reason of death, resignation, removal or otherwise, the election to fill that vacancy is held as soon as possible after the occurrence. The person so elected is entitled to hold office for a full term of five years from the date he enters the office. (ANI)