Rajasthan Congress permits 'ghar wapsi' for several rebel leaders; seeks to balance Gehlot, Pilot factions
JAIPUR: Several prominent leaders in Rajasthan who were expelled for anti-party activities in the past two years have returned to the Congress. Most of these leaders had rebelled and dented Congress's prospects in the last Assembly elections in 2023.
The six expelled leaders who have returned to the Congress fold over the past week, include names like Mewaram Jain, Balendu Singh Shekhawat, Sandeep Sharma, Balram Yadav, Arvind Damor, and Tejpal Mirdha. AICC Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa sent a letter to PCC Chief Govind Singh Dotasara ordering the revocation of the earlier expulsion of these leaders.
All these leaders were once influential Congress figures in their constituencies but were expelled for rebelling and contesting the 2023 Assembly elections as independents, derailing the party’s plans. Now, after being in regular contact with top Congress leaders, and the state Congress leadership stating that any leader who wishes to return to the party “unconditionally” is welcome, their ‘ghar wapsi’ has been permitted.
Interestingly, the six leaders who have been allowed a ‘ghar wapsi’ by the Congress belong mainly to the factions led by former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his arch-rival in Rajasthan Congress, Sachin Pilot. For instance, while Mewaram Jain is well-known to be close to Gehlot, Tejpal Mirdha is considered close to Pilot.
Another significant return to the party fold is Balendu Singh Shekhawat, the son of former Assembly Speaker Dipendra Singh Shekhawat and a close associate of Sachin Pilot. Though he was expelled for six years after being found involved in anti-party activities, Balendu's expulsion has now been revoked.
Congress sources say the party disciplinary committee still has applications for the reinstatement of over a dozen rebels pending. As most leaders permitted a return belong to either the Gehlot or the Pilot factions, it suggests that the party is trying to address and rectify the rifts and factionalism that have for years been the bane of the Congress in Rajasthan.