A role for Sachin Pilot: Why Rajasthan might not be as easy for Cong as Chhattisgarh

श्री टी. एस. सिंह देव जी को छत्तीसगढ़ का उप मुख्यमंत्री बनाए जाने पर हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं।@TS_SinghDeo pic.twitter.com/lSbnD3GJ9j

— Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) June 28, 2023

Quite like in Rajasthan, where Pilot and CM Ashok Gehlot have been in a power tussle since the Congress came to power, Singh Deo has been in a game of thrones with CM Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh. With the Congress apparently succeeding in ironing out the wrinkles in Chhattisgarh, could Rajasthan be next? And what role can be found for Pilot, who blew up his posts as Deputy CM and state party chief with a failed rebellion?

This is what Jaipur has been buzzing about, ever since the Congress made its changes in Chhattisgarh.

The urgency can’t be overstated, given that Rajasthan is also headed for elections like Chhattisgarh. The bitter feud between Pilot and Gehlot has meant that the divided Rajasthan Congress is awaiting consensus on matters such as heads of several district units.

However, the Congress might find the going difficult in Rajasthan as compared to Chhattisgarh where, despite their cold war, Baghel and Singh Deo kept up a pretence of civility and refrained from personal attacks on each other.

On the contrary, in Rajasthan, since the time Pilot led that rebellion with 18 MLAs in 2020, Gehlot has not held back when talking about his younger colleague, inviting sharp retorts in return. Gehlot has called Pilot naakara, nikamma and gaddar (useless, worthless and traitor); Pilot has asked whether Gehlot’s leader was not Sonia Gandhi but former BJP CM Vasundhara Raje.

Another reason the Chhattisgarh formula may not work in Rajasthan is that while the post of Deputy CM might have placated Singh Deo, Pilot no longer desires it, having held it earlier. Sources close to him say he would rather simply be an MLA but a parallel power centre, than agreeing to be No. 2 in a government where he would have no real power or influence, with Gehlot calling all the shots.

It is abundantly clear that Pilot won’t be content holding any post in the government apart from that of CM – a chair he believes was wrongfully snatched from him after the 2018 win, though he was the state president who had worked to revive the party.

A Pilot supporter could be made Deputy CM, but that would require reconfiguration of a lot of factors by the Congress, such as caste balancing and personal rivalries and affiliations.

A possibility being talked about is appointing Pilot as the Rajasthan PCC chief again, before the Assembly elections later this year, or as the head of the election campaigning committee.

However, few see Gehlot agreeing to head into elections with Pilot as the party president.

Pilot’s supporters argue that his case is a much-needed turning of chapter for the Congress, with youth to the forefront. Ironically, in this, Pilot is closer to Baghel, with Singh Deo in Chhattisgarh part of the old guard like Gehlot.

However, unlike Singh Deo, who proved no match for Baghel in power play, Gehlot is a past master. One of his master strokes was defying the high command when it called a meeting of legislators to elect a new CM last year – and surviving.

The last effort by the high command to broker a truce between Pilot and Gehlot was in May this year, when the two met in Delhi in the presence of Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. Soon after, Pilot lashed out at Gehlot, questioning him for “inaction” over corruption charges under the Raje-led BJP government.

Gehlot, who sustained a leg injury on Thursday, is presently ensconced at his residence, ruling out any trip to Delhi at least for the next few days. This means that the possibilities of any immediate meeting between the two warring leaders and the party high command are slim.