Pilot-Gehlot tussle: A defiance, a yatra, a meet to 'unite' later where Rajasthan political crisis stands?
4 min read 01 Jun 2023, 07:09 PM ISTOn a visit to his Tonk assembly constituency, the dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday, indicated that it was the last day before what was being seen as an ultimatum to CM Gehlot ends. ‘So, let us see what happens tomorrow,’ he told reporters.
PremiumRajasthan assembly polls draw close and the bid to win yet another crucial assembly elections in India ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections had intensified in Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Congress. While Congress has resorted to initiating meets between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot to bolster unity ahead of the polls, Pilot seems to have stuck to his demands from the Ashok Gehlot government.
The demands that began the tussle between CM Gehlot and his bête noire Sachin Pilot in the first place. Congress High Command including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had administered a meeting between Gehlot and Pilot a couple of days ago in Delhi, following which the Grand Old Party declared that the two leaders had agreed to fight unitedly in the Rajasthan Assembly Elections.
On a visit to his Tonk assembly constituency, the dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday, indicated that it was the last day before what was being seen as an ultimatum to Gehlot ends. “So, let us see what happens tomorrow," he told reporters.
When and how did the tussle begin?
Let's take a look
Rajasthan Political Crisis
On 10 July, the Rajasthan police had filed a case against two persons who were discussing Pilot’s ‘ambition’ to become chief minister. The next day, the then deputy chief minister of Rajasthan flew to Delhi and declared his rebellion against the leadership of chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
Why did Pilot rebel against Gehlot?
Gehlot and Pilot have been engaged in a power tussle since the Congress formed government in the state in 2018. In 2020, Pilot led a revolt against the Gehlot government after which he was removed from the posts of the party's state unit president and deputy chief minister.
The Congress's dissident leader Sachin Pilot has stated a number of reasons for his rebellion against the functioning of Gehlot government
-The latest dissidence arises on alleged inaction of the Gehlot led Rajasthan government against "corruption" during the previous Vasundhara Raje Scindia government
-Then deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot was sidelined was during the state government’s battle with the Covid-19 crisis. Gehlot chose to work solo despite Pilot's immensely successful effort in increasing MNREGA work days and taking the sanitisation drive to the rural areas
-A direct affront to Pilot’s power as PCC chief was seen when six BSP MLAs defected to the Congress in October last year. The MLAs joined the Congress in the presence of Gehlot. Although he was the PCC president, Pilot was not kept in the loop regarding this
-On the completion of one year of the Gehlot-led Rajasthan government, a three-day celebration was planned. A special booklet was launched recording the achievements of the government. However, Pilot was completely isolated from the celebrations.
-The biggest nail in the coffin arose when Jyotiraditya Scindia moved over to BJP from Congress intiating the downfall of the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh. Following this incident, speculations arose that Pilot would mete out a similar fate to the grand old party.
During the Rajya Sabha polls, the Congress blamed the BJP of trying to poach on the party. Post the elections, a Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police was formed to investigate into the conspiracy to destabilise the government.
The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police arrested two persons ‒ Ashok Singh and Bharat Malani, who had a “connection" with the BJP in the past ‒ for discussing the “purchase" of MLAs to topple the government. Their conversations purportedly said that Sachin Pilot is aiming to be the chief minister.
This angered Pilot who said that it had become untenable for him to carry on.
Congress attempt to defuse tension
The Congress had ‘given Sachin Pilot a chance’ to resolve the issue in June 2020 itself and had warned him that failing to do so would mean that Pilot would be removed from his positions in the party.
In 2021, an attempt by the high command to effect a leadership change in Rajasthan had failed after Gehlot loyalists dug their heels in and did not allow a legislature party meeting to take place.
In 2023, ahead of an impending crucial state assembly elections, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had held marathon discussions with Gehlot and Pilot separately on Monday, sources had said. They had later posed for photographs at Kharge's 10 Rajaji Marg residence.
After the meetings, the party had said Chief Minister Gehlot and Pilot have agreed to fight the upcoming assembly elections unitedly and have left all issues to be resolved by the party high command.
Pilot-Gehlot tension simmers till date
While ending his five-day 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' in Jaipur, Pilot had made three demands -- reconstitution of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), compensation to youths affected by the leak of exam papers, and a high-level probe into allegations of corruption against the previous Vasundhara Raje government.
He had last month defied a warning from the party and went ahead with a day-long fast targeting Gehlot over his "inaction" on alleged corruption during the previous Raje government.
Even though Congress' effort to portray a ‘united’ front between Gehlot and Pilot was seen as successful endeavour, on Thursday, Pilot said he is waiting for action by the Gehlot government.
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