Pilot Sachin was finally able to get Ashok Gehlot’s Rajasthan seat, two years after the failed coup. (File)
New Delhi:
Parliament has convened a meeting of Rajasthan MLAs in Jaipur tomorrow amid a buzz that Ashok Gehlot could finally make way for Sachin Pilot to take over as Minister while he becomes National President. festival. The party’s headquarters in Delhi has direct participation – senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge has been appointed Observer, and Ajay Maken, the state man in charge, will attend – meaning the top post of the party. state will likely be the agenda.
Ashok Gehlot’s election as the first non-Gandhi Congress head in two decades remains all but complete – because he has the support of the Gandhis. He was amiable and repulsive, even calling the meeting of the MLAs a show of strength earlier this week; but gave in to the ‘one person, one post’ party rule after a clear message from Rahul Gandhi.
This could mean that Pilot Sachin, who lost his job as Deputy Minister after a failed coup in 2020, could now get the promotion he wants. Mr. Gehlot wanted at least one loyalist to support Jaipur when he moved to Delhi. But that seems unlikely.
Rajasthan will go to the polls next year, just months before the 2024 Lok Sabha contest, and is one of only two states – the other being Chhattisgarh – where Parliament is self-governing.
Pieces have moved rapidly over the past week.
The last time the party’s MLA met in Jaipur was Ashok Gehlot’s power show, just as Sachin Pilot left town for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. When Mr Pilot returned, Gehlot joined Rahul Gandhi in Yatra.
While Pilot Sachin simply said that “senior commanders will decide”, Mr. Gehlot went to see party boss Sonia Gandhi; and even demanded that Rahul Gandhi take back the post of party chief.
But Rahul Gandhi remained firm in his position that a non-Gandhi must take the chair.
Mr. Gehlot’s wish for dual power went up in smoke when Rahul Gandhi told a news conference that he hoped “the commitments made at Udaipur will be respected”. Three years ago in Udaipur, which also happened in Rajasthan, the party decided on the celibacy policy.
As for the position of head, Ashok Gehlot’s opponent has so far been Shashi Tharoor, one of 23 leaders who have demanded elections and a full-time president. Manish Tewari, another member of G-23, also expressed interest. Nominations can be submitted until September 30 for the October 17 vote. Results will be announced on October 19.
The last time the electoral process was held was in 2017, but no vote was needed as no one challenged Rahul Gandhi. The last time it needed a vote was in 2001, when Jitendra Prasad launched what turned out to be an iconic fight against Sonia Gandhi. She won with over 99% of the vote and continued to be re-elected – without running for office, of course – until 2017, when Rahul Gandhi was promoted from vice president to party president.
He quit in 2019, two months after the party lost another Lok Sabha contest in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi gathered even more strength.
Sonia Gandhi has been the interim leader ever since.
That said, Rahul Gandhi is obviously still the face of the party. A non-Gandhi can be served to ease accusations of authoritarianism, especially as Rahul Gandhi is walking the 3,500 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to bolster himself and the party ahead of the 2024 contest. Rajasthan is an important stop.
