Over the last few years, the Ashok Gehlot-Sachin Pilot rift has played out in public.
New Delhi:
The Congress bit the Rajasthan bullet today, summoning Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy and political rival Sachin Pilot to Delhi for discussions with Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The assembly election in Rajasthan is due later this year and the party, which is trying to work against the state’s revolving door trend, is in desperate need to repair its fractured image.
“Both leaders have unanimously decided to work together and left the decision on the high command,” senior party leader KC Venugopal said after the four-hour meeting. No details of the ‘peace pact’ or division of responsibilities for the upcoming elections were offered.
Over the last few years, the Ashok Gehlot-Sachin Pilot rift has played out in public.
Three years ago, media reports provided a blow-by-blow account of Mr Pilot’s aborted rebellion and the subsequent drama when Mr Gehlot was asked to stand for election to the party’s national chief’s post. Over 70 MLAs had sided with Mr Gehlot and defied then party chief Sonia Gandhi, after a buzz that Mr Pilot would succeed him.
Sources indicated that today’s meeting is an effort to find a middle ground between the state’s two most important leaders — inspired by the recent peace-brokering between former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state party chief DK Shivakumar in Karnataka.
Projection of a united image by the two key leaders who have been at loggerheads for years, had brought bumper returns for the Congress in the recently concluded assembly election. Settling the knotty question of Chief Ministership between the two aggressive contenders has further boosted the party’s confidence.
In Rajasthan, Mr Pilot has made a series of demands, including that his party’s government take action in the alleged paper leak scam that took place during the BJP rule in the state.
He has put the Congress on notice, declaring that if there is no action by the end of this month, he would hold agitation across the state.
Pointing out that Mr Gehlot, while in the opposition, levelled allegations against the Vasundhara Raje government, he had said, “Four and a half years have been completed but the promises made have not been fulfilled and action has not been taken on the allegations”.
“I went on a fast in Jaipur, but when nothing happened from that, I felt that now I will have to go among the public and I took out the Jan Sangharsh Yatra,” Mr Pilot had added.
If the threat is carried out, it will be a body blow to the Congress, with the state just months away from election.
