JAIPUR: The return of Sachin Pilot to the Congress fold without any major concessions to him marks a huge victory for Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Although Pilot has come back to the Congress camp, there is no face-saving formula that was immediately offered to him beyond a committee that will look into his grievances.
This is a massive come down for Pilot which ensures that the Gehlot government is safe for now. Pilot has lost both his key posts in the state -- of being PCC Chief and Deputy CM -- after his one-month-long revolt. In addition, Gehlot has succeeded in foiling BJP's mega plans to topple his government and in its mission to damage the Congress at the national level soon after the MP shock.
Sources say there will be clarity over the compromise formula that has been worked out within the next few days. But the big question is -- why did Pilot finally relent after a whole month of open revolt? Has Pilot compromised with his stature or has he sealed some secret deal with the party High Command?
Given Pilot's rebellion, Ashok Gehlot had even called him 'Nikamma and Nakaara' (an utterly useless fellow). Despite all this, the reason for Pilot's climbdown now is a blunt truth -- the number of MLAs supporting him simply did not rise. In contrast, the number of MLAs in the Gehlot camp never declined even after staying in different hotels in Jaipur and Jaisalmer for nearly a month.
The final straw was Vasundhara Raje's tough posturing with the BJP High Command in the last few days. As even the BJP was forced to herd its MLAs in Gujarat, Pilot perhaps realised the futility of his dream of bringing down the Gehlot government and he was left with no choice but to look for a compromise.
The big question now is whether Pilot will be rehabilitated in Rajasthan and given either of the posts he was previously holding. Most political observers say that the chances of this happening are virtually nil but as a face-saving formula, Pilot may be shifted to Delhi and offered a position there in the party organisation.
For the moment, however, it is a clear-cut victory for Ashok Gehlot who held on to his numbers and since Pilot's number never went beyond 19 MLAs which included himself, he finally had to climb down and reach out to the Congress high command for a compromise.
The most "shameful" aspect of the Pilot climb down was that Bhanwarlal Sharma, one of his key strategists, who was camping in Manesar for a month came down to Jaipur on Monday and reached the CM residence to meet Ashok Gehlot. Sharma has taken a U-turn from the Pilot camp to the Gehlot camp reflects how much he has shifted away.
"Only Gahlot is the chief of Congress in Rajasthan and I am with the Gehlot Government which will run for the entire period of 5 years. My grievances were related to the development in my area and everything is resolved. The other MLAs will also come back. Now, Sachin Pilot has met Rahul Gandhi then who am I to say anything", he said while talking to the media after he met CM Ashok Gehlot at his residence.
Earlier, even as Pilot was meeting Rahul and Priyanka in the afternoon in Delhi, Congress State president Govind Singh Dotasara, while talking to the media on Monday afternoon, clarified that Ashok Gahlot will remain the Chief Minister for his entire term. Gehlot loyalists are reluctant in the rehabilitation of Pilot again on the key posts now from which he has been removed. "Gehlot has the numbers, it was Sachin who created a ruckus for the party and now to give him the positions back means a slap on the face of the CM. He has to be kept out of Rajasthan for some time, " said a Gehlot loyalist on the condition of anonymity.
So far, from getting Pilot as CM or even getting Gehlot removed as CM, the Pilot camp eventually had to accept Ashok Gehlot as CM, the magician of Rajasthan politics who has emerged very much stronger and played his cards well in the month-long drama that rocked Rajasthan!!