Gehlot-Pilot spat exposes leadership vacuum in upper echelons of Congress

While the Rajasthan CM has won the battle hands down, efforts to placate Pilot by some of the party's most influential leaders points to a generational battle between the old guard and younger blood

Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, who mounted a rebellion against chief minister Ashok Gehlot, today retreated after Gehlot proved that the majority of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) was behind him. More than 100 MLAs rallied behind Gehlot, putting a question mark on Pilot’s supporters’ claim that he had the support of 30 MLAs. The Congress has 107 MLAs in a house of 200.

The top leadership of the Congress sought a face-saver for Pilot by asking Gehlot to take back the charges filed against Pilot (of trying to collaborate with the opposition BJP to topple Gehlot) and assured him publicly that he will continue to stay chief of the party’s state unit with an additional portfolio or two attached to his home portfolio. Observers felt that Gehlot had achieved his objective of publicly discrediting Pilot, something he has been plotting for months. The special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police sent a notice to him for appearing before it in the case involving "horse-trading" of MLAs in the state. The SOG has registered an FIR in this regard and has also sent notices to the chief minister, chief whip of Congress and some ministers and MLAs. SOG reports to the chief minister and takes orders from him.

The only public statement by Pilot was in an interview to NewsX TV channel last night. where he said he was not joining the BJP. In order to collaborate with the BJP and topple the Gehlot government, Pilot would have required the support of at least 25 MLAs who would have aided the BJP’s 75 in toppling the Gehlot government. These 25 would have had to resign from their posts and be ready for re-election. Many of them have defeated sitting BJP candidates to be elected to the assembly. The resignation of such a large number would have involved a bloodletting of huge proportions.

Gehlot allowed himself to gloat when the CLP meeting was held. The resolution passed at the meeting said: 'If any of the Congress office-bearers or member of the CLP directly or indirectly performs acts against the government and party or is involved in such a conspiracy, then strong disciplinary action be taken against him.'

Efforts are on to placate Pilot. Besides Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, other Congress leaders who are learnt to have spoken to Pilot are Ahmed Patel, former Union finance minister P Chidambaram and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal.

However, top Sangh Parivar sources feel it is a matter of time before Sachin Pilot crosses over to the BJP. The party is keen to replace former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who is a Rajasthan leader in her own right, with a more malleable leader. Both are associated with the Gujar community.

Had Pilot been agreeable to a Rajya Sabha nomination, the BJP would have given him one immediately, like Jyotiraditya Scindia, and accommodated him at the Centre. But Pilot wants to command a state and the BJP is not in a position to help him achieve that ambition just yet.

There is no clarity on Pilot’s next moves. If he walks out of the Congress to form his own party, it will mean a hard uphill slog to establish its credentials, especially since Gehlot will leave no stone unturned to supplant him.

Many in the Congress feel this is a generational battle between the old guard represented by Gehlot and the younger leaders like Pilot, who are said to enjoy the backing of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. This in turn points to the vacuum of leadership in the top Congress management.