Rajasthan polls: War of words over leaders' origin

With elections due in a month, war of words between Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has erupted, with both of them calling each other an outsider.

A few days ago, Pilot while answering a question at a press conference on his candidature said, "My relation with this pious soil came into being when I was two-and-a-half-years old and my deceased father was a pilot in Air Force. So, my sister was born in Hyderabad where he was posted, I was born in Army Hospital, Sansawa, where he was posted. So, since the age of 2 and a half years, in 1979, when my father fought election for the first time from Bharatpur, when BJP had not taken birth".

Later hitting at Raje's orgin, Pilot added, " Our state's chief minister came to Rajasthan at the age of 22-23 years after she was married here".

In response to Pilot's statement, Vasundhara took potshots on him at the Diwali milan program organised by the BJP in Jaipur by saying, "My doli (bridal palanquin) came to Rajasthan and only my arthi (funeral cortege) will leave from here, and I will continue to serve the people of Rajasthan till then".

Questioning Pilot's origin, Raje said, "Those who are questioning my origin can they please tell me that where is his peehar (home) and sasuraal (in laws house)"— Pilot is married to the daughter of Farooq Abdullah, former former chief minister of Kashmir.

While Raje is the chief ministerial candidate for the BJP, Sachin Pilot on the other hand is seen as a contender for the post.

Rajasthan goes to polls on December 7 and results will be declared on December 11.