His-Madame’s-voice Scindia vs Pilot, the habitual dissenter

This contest may have warmed up recently but it began as early as last year’s general elections when Scindia was handpicked by Sonia for the crucial job of the deputy leader in the Lok Sabha. Although many feel she brought in Scindia to counter Pilot, it cranked up the internal power struggle between Scindia and his contemporaries.

Emerging as the rallying point of the anti-Scindia group was Pilot: both belong to the same age group, both have established for themselves a formidable reputation of winning elections, both are CWC members, both have been central ministers, and wield considerable clout and support within the party. And both are ambitious.

So it’s no surprise that the two are fighting for what will effectively be the No 2 position in the party. Because they are working on the premise that the influence of the old guard is clearly on the wane.

Key to the Scindia-Pilot tussle is their positioning on issues crucial to the party. So while Scindia, along with other senior leaders, was busy hammering out an agreement with Laloo Yadav’s RJD for a coalition government in Bihar, Pilot was openly voicing his views against such an “opportunistic” alliance, his criticism clearly meant to embarrass Scindia.

But Scindia’s increasing clout has sent the jitters across even the establised coterie around Sonia. “He has emerged as Sonia’s key advisor not only in matters relating to Parliament but also on crucial decisions within the party,” says a senior leader. And that’s for all to see, whether it’s hammering out a coalition with the NCP in Maharasthra or with Laloo in Bihar.

In fact, when Sonia couldn’t make it to Gujarat last week for a tour of the drought-affected areas, she chose Scindia to represent her, even though Parliament was in session. He has also been asked to resolve the nasty infighting in the party’s Delhi unit. And it’s an open secret in party circles that Scindia has been behind many important appointments, be it that of Maharasthra PCC chief Govindrao Adik or that of Indian Youth Congress chief Randip Surjewala.

Most significantly, perhaps, Sonia even snubbed old loyalist Arjun Singh at Scindia’s behest, for having issued a statement on his (Scindia) behalf (making clear the party’s stand on the mahajot in West Bengal) without his knowledge.

But Pilot is not one to be kept down. While his outspokenness may be one the reason why Sonia has kept him out of key positions, it is also this very quality which has been his trump card — some say it has been deliberately cultivated — and given him an image to contend with in the party. “When Pilot talks, on just about anything, people in the Congress listen, simply because he airs his views so frankly and freely,” admits a senior Congress leader.

And as part of his strategy to counter Scindia’s clout, Pilot has been doing a lot of talking recently–be it in CWC meetings or through unilateral but carefully calculated and drafted statements often at variance with the party line.

He has voiced his concern at public meetings over the party’s flawed approach to what goes as economic reforms, and in a recent CWC meeting on electoral reforms, he had many seeing red when he endorsed Election Commissioner M S Gill’s proposal that those chargesheeted should be debarred from contesting elections. It’s this that reinforces Pilot’s image as a long-distance runner and given the party’s dwindling fortunes, he knows that he may be down but is certainly not out.