JAIPUR: Ahead of the Assembly elections, the Rajasthan Congress has done a major overhaul in the state unit days after it announced reconciliation between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot. As a result, 21 vice presidents, 48 state general secretaries, 121 secretaries, 25 new district presidents and other officials have been announced.
Political observers see a stamp of the Gehlot faction overall. The space given to Pilot supporters is so little that it is clear that CM Gehlot and his loyalists are likely to dominate the show in the organisation.
The formation of the new executive committee for the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee and these long-awaited appointments are the culmination of a series of meetings in Delhi. This has resulted in the selection of 192 office-bearers to fill positions within the PCC executive.
This rejig in the party's organisational wing is a significant development in the election year. It has been delayed for many months due to the feud going on between the Gehlot and Pilot factions. These appointments effectively put an end to speculation that Pilot would again assume the role of the state president prior to the Assembly elections.
It now appears quite likely that Govind Singh Dotasara will retain his position as the chief of the state Congress till the assembly elections. The buzz is that instead of giving a crucial position in the state unit, Pilot will be adjusted in the central Congress organisation and may well become general secretary at the AICC. However, Pilot camp has been well-represented in these appointments, with individuals such as Rakesh Pareek, Mukesh Bhakar, Rajendra Chaudhary, Suresh Mishra, Prashant Sharma, and Indraj Gurjar included in the list.
A high-level meeting was convened by the Congress leadership in Delhi last week before these appointments were finalised. The meeting was attended by national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Randhawa and key leaders from the state. Gehlot, due to a leg injury, participated virtually. Following this meeting, Pilot’s attitude underwent several changes.
Congress: MVA strong, will fight polls together
Amid the political turbulence in Maharashtra, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi met its state unit leaders in New Delhi and vowed to fight elections with MVA allies. The MVA suffered a blow after Ajit Pawar switched to the Eknath Shinde –BJP camp along with several MLAs. Taking to social media after the Delhi meeting, Rahul Gandhi said, “The is the stronghold of the Congress.”