JAIPUR: The Congress High Command has summoned Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot for separate meetings with party president Mallikarjuna Kharge in Delhi on Monday to resolve the internal tussle in Rajasthan Congress.
It is now believed that the long-standing ongoing feud between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot may come to an end. The scheduled meeting on Friday was cancelled at the last moment owing to the poor health of CM Gehlot.
According to sources, in addition to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, CM Ashok Gehlot, and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, Rahul Gandhi, Congress state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Congress President Govind Dotasara, will also attend the meeting.
The Congress's high command is brimming with confidence after the massive victory in Karnataka. In such a situation, the high command does not want to leave any stone unturned to capitalise on this energy in the upcoming Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh elections which are scheduled for later this year.
However, political analysts believe that it's different in Rajasthan as comparable to Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. This lack of confidence stems from the desert state's tradition of changing power after every state election as well as the rivalry between the two main pillars of the party in the state, Gehlot and Pilot.
In light of this situation, it is believed that the meeting may provide an opportunity to find a formula for reconciliation between these two leaders. However, based on recent trends, the chances of success seem slim. Previous efforts made by the party in this direction have all failed. Despite strict instructions, Pilot has given an ultimatum to the government of his own party, setting a deadline of May 31 for addressing his three demands. Furthermore, CM Gehlot recently dismissed one of Pilot's demands as an indication of a 'lack of intellect'.
Given these circumstances, it is speculated that the high command may present some options by assigning different roles to Gehlot and Pilot before the elections.
A senior Congress source, speaking anonymously, suggests that one of these options would be to reappoint Sachin Pilot as the party's state president. However, Gehlot might oppose this by citing the satisfactory performance of the current state president, Govind Singh Dotasara who comes from the Jat community, a major vote bank in Rajasthan. In this situation, the party leadership may ask Gehlot to appoint Dotasara as the Deputy Chief Minister.
In yet another option, the top leader said to project Sachin Pilot as the Chief Ministerial face for the next election. However, considering the deep-seated resentment that has developed between Gehlot and Pilot over the last four and a half years, it is unlikely that Gehlot would agree to this option in any situation, as the enmity between these two is more rooted in personal ego clashes than politics. Therefore, the option of presenting Pilot as the Chief Minister is more likely to be outrightly rejected.
On the other hand, recent observations about Pilot's actions and remarks suggest that he is not in the mood to take anything for granted. Discussions about Pilot seeking the services of election strategist Prashant Kishor before the next elections have given rise to new speculations in the political corridors of Rajasthan.
Given this situation, the coming days hold great importance for the Congress party. The outcome of the meeting on Monday will determine whether Gehlot and Pilot will work together as a team in this election or potentially undermine the Congress' prospects in Rajasthan.