On Monday, the Congress took a calculated risk by inviting the chief minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, and his former deputy and political adversary, Sachin Pilot, to Delhi for talks with Rahul Gandhi and the party’s leader, Mallikarjun Kharge. Later this year, Rajasthan will hold its assembly elections, and the party, which is attempting to combat the state’s revolving door habit, is in urgent need of mending its damaged reputation.
After the lengthy, four-hour discussion, senior party official KC Venugopal declared that “both leaders have unanimously decided to work together and left the decision on the high command.” There were no specifics provided on the ‘peace deal’ or responsibility allocation for the future elections.
The conflict between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot has been publicly displayed over the past few years.
Media sources from three years ago gave a detailed account of Mr. Pilot’s failed uprising and the accompanying drama after Mr. Gehlot was asked to run for the party’s national leader position. Following rumours that Mr. Pilot would succeed him, more than 70 MLAs had taken Mr. Gehlot’s side and disobeyed the then-party leader Sonia Gandhi.
According to sources, the meeting on Monday is an attempt to reach a compromise between the state’s two most powerful leaders and was motivated by the recent peacemaking efforts in Karnataka between former chairman Minister Siddaramaiah and state party chairman DK Shivakumar.
The two major figures, who have been at odds for years, attempted to project a united front, which resulted in strong results for the Congress in the recently held assembly election. The two aggressive candidates’ contentious Chief Ministerial dispute being resolved has increased the party’s assurance.
Mr. Pilot has made a number of demands in Rajasthan, including that the government of his party take action in the purported paper leak scandal that allegedly occurred during the BJP’s administration of the state.
He has warned the Congress that if no action is taken by the end of this month, he will stage agitation throughout the state.
Noting that Mr. Gehlot had made accusations against the Vasundhara Raje administration while he was in the opposition, he had stated, “Four and a half years have passed, but the promises made have not been fulfilled and action has not been taken on the allegations.”
I fasted in Jaipur, but when nothing changed as a result of it, I felt that I would now need to interact with the people, so I organised the Jan Sangharsh Yatra, Mr. Pilot had added.
With the state’s elections just months away, if the threat comes true, it will be a fatal blow to the Congress.
