JAIPUR: Amid the tussle between supporters of the Gehlot-Pilot groups, the political temperature in Rajasthan is heating up before the entry of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state.
Congress in-charge Ajay Maken’s offer to resign, 15 days before Rahul Gandhi's arrival has led to many questions. Is it just a coincidence or was it done intentionally?
Angry over the lack of action against three rebel leaders of the Gehlot faction for the uproar on September 25 despite Mallikarjun Kharge becoming the national president, Maken wrote a letter to the party president on November 8, offering to quit the post of Rajasthan in charge.
Ajay Maken was an observer along with the current president Kharge for the Legislature Party meeting in Jaipur on 25 September. MLAs of the Gehlot faction had boycotted that meeting.
After this, the rift in the state unit grew so serious that CM Gehlot had to apologize to Sonia Gandhi. It was on the basis of Kharge and Maken's report that notices were issued to ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi and RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore who were held responsible for the boycott of the Legislature Party meeting. Though the three leaders replied, the matter has been put in cold storage.
The Gehlot camp had even accused Maken of manipulating MLAs to make Sachin Pilot the new Chief Minister.
Political observers are linking Maken's letter to the pressure by the Pilot camp for action against Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi and Dharmendra Rathore before Rahul Gandhi's visit.
Apart from inaction against the three leaders, Maken is also angry with the trio being made the main organisers for Rahul's visit as he pointed out in his letter. The way Maken expressed displeasure to the national president for not taking action against the rebels, reveals that he is in the mood to keep alive the chapter of leadership change in Rajasthan.
On September 25, the resignations of the MLAs of the Gehlot faction were handed over to the Speaker but they have not been withdrawn yet. Now, the Pilot camp is demanding a change of CM even as resignations of the MLAs from Gehlot's camp are kept with the Speaker. These resignations are seen as a pressure tactic to prevent any move to change the CM.
On the resignation of Ajay Maken, Pilot supporter and MLA Ved Prakash Solanki said that “Maken has left the post of state in charge after being hurt by the incident of 25 September and that is a matter of shame for us.”
Also, Pilot supporter MLA Khiladi Lal Bairwa said that “Maken had to say that it has been 51 days since September 25 and no action was taken. The high command accepted that three people were responsible but no action against all three for 51 days is a serious matter. Whatever changes have to be made should be done before Rahul Gandhi's visit and immediate action should be taken against all the three leaders.”
Before the start of Rahul's visit, the estrangement between former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is intensifying.
Pilot did not attend the party's meeting on Friday on preparations for the Bharat Jodo Yatra and CM Gehlot again targeted Pilot without naming him. Gehlot wants show cause notices to be given to party leaders, office bearers and public representatives who were absent from the meeting for Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Political analysts believe the real reason behind Maken's resignation is to revive the demand for a change of CM in Rajasthan. Maken has raised questions on the Gehlot faction and made it an issue of the authority of the High Command. Though Maken has not come to Rajasthan after September 25, the party leadership has tried to defuse the controversy for by making him a star campaigner for the Sardarshahar by-election.
Amidst discussions about Maken's offer to quit, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasara said "those who are not angry, how to convince them?"
Dotasara said that Maken is in charge of the Rajasthan Congress and that’s why he is on the list of star campaigners for the Sardarshahar by-election.
Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Rajasthan from Jhalawar and cover a total distance of 521 kilometres through Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts and enter Haryana.
The state Congress has kept Ministers Shantilal Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi and RTDC Chairman Dharmendra Rathod away from this visit so that no new controversy arises. The State Congress has constituted a 32-member committee for the preparations for this yatra.