Congress Leadership Must Act Fast To Bridge Gehlot-Pilot Differences

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge is walking a tightrope in trying to amicably resolve an intra-party feud between veteran Ashok Gehlot and young Turk Sachin Pilot in  Rajasthan. Working out a compromise formula by Kharge seems to be asking for the moon as both the feuding  leaders seem to possess a winner takes all  mindset.

Whatever be the outcome of Kharge’s intervention, one faction will remain unsatisfied. Apprehensions gnawing the national leadership are the dissatisfied group splitting to form a new outfit, joining BJP or remaining less than active in this poll bound state.

Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads since 2018 over distribution of party nomination following which the tussle shifted to becoming chief minister. Things have come to such a pass that the party leadership is almost pushed to a corner to decide whether to go to the polls with rebel Pilot or chief minister Gehlot.

Both have their advantages and drawbacks. Gehlot is 71 and is seeking a last chance to be  the chief minister though Rajasthan has a history of alternating in government and it is BJP’s turn this time.

Dropping Gehlot is risky for the Congress for though ageing, the chief minister has shown that he is the man in control with an outreach in the BJP camp as seen with the help of the saffron outfit he swung  the vote of confidence  in his favour. He is an important leader from the OBC community and dropping him as helmsman would carry a wrong message to his community.

Gehlot has some significant minuses. He lacks charisma and indulges in factionalism. Pilot, on the other hand is a charismatic leader who is close to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Fighting corruption has been one of Rahul Gandhi’s declared missions while Pilot is on a dharna against the Gehlot government accusing it of inaction in Lalit Modi affidavit case, excise mafia, land grabbing cases and last but not the least of Gehlot dispensation’s reluctance to act against Vasundhara Raje government’s alleged corruption.

Articulate and sophisticated though Pilot is, he has shown his impatience by rebelling in 2020 and 2022. On the first occasion, he had the support of 20 party MLAs and the month long political crisis was concluded with an assurance from the party leadership to look into the matter.

In September 2022, the national leadership again intervened when Pilot made a bid for chief ministership. To upset this plan, 90 MLAs of Gehlot camp offered to resign. As things stand now, Pilot is in a hurry. He feels if he lets go now, the next opportunity will come to him in 2028 and he is loath to wait.

If Kharge awaits the results of Karnataka election which the Congress feels it has chances of winning, it would be a sign of dithering. Keeping the crisis in Rajasthan unattended would not only worsen it but may affect the situation in Karnataka for the worse.

Keeping the Punjab debacle in mind, the Congress high command must play its cards carefully lest it back the wrong horse. And it is here that the behind the scene forces in the party read Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra troika will come to play.

It is to be seen whether they give Kharge a long rope or rein him in. It is a fair guess that Rahul’s personal equation will Pilot will do the trick. Offering Pilot a shift to the national Capital with greater involvement in organisational matters especially in the matter of Rajasthan polls is an option. But the young rebel is unwilling to shift base.

With few young leaders left in its ranks, Pilot’s departure before the elections or the inactivity of his supporters would affect the party’s poll prospects. Rubbing Gehlot the wrong way would deprive the Congress of a veteran campaigner well versed in the ways of election and governance.

A victory in Rajasthan will widen the lifeline of Congress survival in national politics. The Grand Old Party is in a Catch-22 situation in which a mistake will markedly reduce its already emaciated sphere of influence. (IPA Service)