Advantage gehlot rajasthan congress government looks safe for now but structural problems remain

Advantage gehlot rajasthan congress government looks safe for now but structural problems remain

A month after leaving Jaipur with 18 Congress MLAs, Sachin Pilot’s rebellion has all but fizzled out. Failing to dislodge Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Pilot has also lost the state PCC president and deputy CM posts. Congress high command has signalled a repatriation but it may not match what Pilot enjoyed before his revolt. Reinstating him immediately to the status quo ante would send the wrong message, especially in Punjab and Chhattisgarh where dissidence is building up.

Cutting Pilot down to size allows Gehlot full rein over party and government. The old-school politician had long anticipated a clash with his younger ex-deputy and precipitated the rebellion by provoking Pilot with a police case before the latter was fully prepared for a parting of ways. While Pilot’s MLAs will be suitably accommodated – some met Gehlot for a truce – Pilot faces a tricky road ahead. His options were always limited. Entering BJP would have meant playing a crowded field where his role would have been restricted; in any case he is known to be ideologically averse to BJP, as are some of the MLAs with him. And starting a third party would have been a very long haul in Rajasthan’s bipolar politics.

However, Pilot’s diminution isn’t good news for Congress. Three-term CM Gehlot nearing 70 cannot exactly be termed a future bet. Pilot is a draw with young voters and has mass appeal in parts of Rajasthan and among some influential caste groups. Losing him would have dented Congress’s credibility after the Scindia exit. Ego clashes are common in politics. But in Congress they snowball into mutual destruction.

The loss of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh and close shave in Rajasthan can be traced to giant-sized egos getting hurt in turf wars. The absence of central leadership is telling. Even BJP has its share of bickering netas in state units but the firm grip of the Modi-Shah duo keeps strife at bay. Sonia Gandhi has completed a year as interim Congress president. But her authority has taken a beating since 2014. The Gehlot-Pilot falling out is a warning to Congress of other state units in disarray. Beat this paradox: A party brimming with politicians cannot find a replacement for the listless Rahul Gandhi who demitted office in May last year and has shown little appetite for active politics since.