Rajasthan Congress story takes Sachin Pilot-may-leave twist, his silence adds to drama

On Tuesday, as news started swirling that Pilot might announce a new party in the poll-bound state, the Congress seemed no closer to finding a way to accept the younger leader’s three core demands without antagonising the Chief Minister or discrediting his government.

Sources close to the Pilot camp denied news reports that he would float a party on June 11, which marks the death anniversary of his father and late Congress leader Rajesh Pilot. They also suggested that news regarding this was being spread by the Gehlot camp.

However, there was no official word from Pilot or his supporters on this.

Sources said the high command wants to meet Pilot at least halfway, but its task has been rendered tricky by the former Deputy CM’s insistence that Gehlot accept all his demands – a high-level inquiry into alleged corruption cases against the previous Vasundhara Raje government, disbanding of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (which has seen leakage of papers in several exams), its reconstitution via a new law, and compensation for students who have suffered due to the question paper leaks.

The Gehlot side believes that acceptance of these demands would show his government in a bad light just months before the elections, particularly given Pilot’s accusation that the probe into cases dating back to the Raje government has been deliberately delayed.

However, Pilot too is coming under pressure from his supporters as his demands see no forward movement, and the 15-day deadline he had set for the Congress government expiring. It is against this backdrop that there is speculation that he will announce his next course of action on June 11.

According to sources close to Pilot, a Plan B of walking out of the Congress and floating a separate outfit has been on his mind for some months. Pilot is believed to have hired political consultancy firm I-PAC as part of this recently. Sources say the two I-PAC executives assigned to him had worked out a proposal to float a party.

Some AICC leaders feel his ratcheting up of pressure with well-framed demands, day-long dharna (against the high command’s wishes) and five-day yatra were all part of this larger plan.

However, Pilot put this on the backburner after the AICC reached out to him.

Most top leaders also believe that Pilot, at heart of hearts, does not want to leave the party. Sources close to him say he would be happier with the high command finding a way to make Gehlot accede to his demands, and is still hopeful this will happen.

Sources in the high command said that the leadership was surprised by reports emerging of his plan to leave, and see the fact that Pilot chose not to deny the reports as another means by him to put pressure.

Asked whether he thought Pilot was floating a trial balloon, one senior leader said: “We are engaged in talks with him. Now how can I say whether he is intentionally spreading it (talk of his leaving) or if it is the handiwork of the other camp. As far as we are concerned, we are working towards a resolution.”

Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, AICC in-charge of Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa reached Jaipur on a four-day visit. He told The Indian Express he had a conversation with Pilot four-five days ago, and that he had no knowledge of his plans.

Speaking to reporters, Randhawa said: “I am hearing it (Pilot’s plans for a new party) from you. There is nothing like that. Naa hi unka pehle mann tha, naa hi ab mann hai (Neither did he desire this earlier, nor does he want it now).”

He added: “I am here to meet MLAs and all those leaders who want to meet me. I will be meeting everyone.”