NEW DELHI: Mallikarjun Kharge’s first big challenge as Congress president is knocking at his door. The new Congress chief needs to act in Rajasthan … and act fast to settle the Ashok Gehlot vs Sachin Pilot power tussle in the state.
Pilot, who had led an unsuccessful rebellion against Gehlot in 2020, has made his intentions clear. He wants action against Gehlot’s loyalists who had thwarted his possible elevation as the state chief minister. This was when chief minister Gehlot was the frontrunner to be the Congress president and Pilot was the chosen one to replace him as CM in the state.
However, that Congress plan to settle the Rajasthan power tussle never materialised.
Not just that, Pilot has now also raised questions on Gehlot’s intentions by citing an official function where the Rajasthan chief minister shared the stage with Prime Minister Modi and the two leaders heaped praise on each other.
As expected, Pilot’s outbursts have evoked a strong response from Gehlot thus setting the stage for another round of verbal duel between the two Rajasthan leaders.
Gehlot responded to Pilot’s remarks by reminding him about the party’s instructions to “maintain discipline.”
Kharge knows he has a daunting task at hand. He has had a first hand experience of the crisis in Rajasthan when as party’s central observer, he and senior leader Ajay Maken, were snubbed by majority of party MLAs from the Gehlot camp as they refused to attend a legislature party meeting.
The two Central observers had then submitted a report on the Rajasthan crisis based on which the party had recommended disciplinary action against 3 MLAs believed to be close to Gehlot.
With around a year for assembly polls in the state, Pilot is keen that the Congress acts against the three MLAs who were served show-cause notices.
“I believe that Congress is an old and disciplined party and party discipline is applicable to all, no matter how big an individual may be,” he said.
Pilot said it cannot happen that the party considers a development as indiscipline, issues notices and seeks replies but no decision is taken.
“I believe the decision will be taken soon,” he said.
The crisis in Rajasthan gave an interesting twist to Congress’s presidential elections with the then frontrunner Gehlot opting out of the race and the mantle of party leadership going into the hands of Kharge.
Sachin Pilot would have hoped that Kharge as party chief would have acted on his own report on the Rajasthan crisis.
But can Kharge resolve this crisis? The options before him are limited. The Gandhis have made their preference clear. They want Pilot to lead the party in the assembly elections next year and Gehlot to support him.
Kharge knows this is easier said than done. Gehlot has the support of nearly 100 MLAs and is unlikely to step aside for Pilot, who has not managed to get the backing of more than 20-25 MLAs.
Pilot has even warned the Congress leadership about Gehlot’s next moves by suggesting that the chief minister may dump the party and join hands with the BJP.
“The PM praised the chief minister and this is an interesting development because the Prime Minister had praised Ghulam Nabi Azad in the same manner in the House in Parliament. And we all have seen what circumstances were created after that,” Pilot said.
The reference was to Azad quitting the Congress and later forming his own party.
“So it is an interesting development that the PM has praised the CM, and it should not be taken lightly,” Pilot said.
During the Mangarh event, PM Modi had called Gehlot the senior-most chief minister in the fraternity of CMs when he himself headed the Gujarat government.
Gehlot on his part praised PM Modi’s leadership which he said had given recognition to India on the world stage.
It will be interesting to see how Kharge handles this power tussle in Rajasthan because it may well decide the future of the Congress in the state.
(With inputs from agencies)
Pilot, who had led an unsuccessful rebellion against Gehlot in 2020, has made his intentions clear. He wants action against Gehlot’s loyalists who had thwarted his possible elevation as the state chief minister. This was when chief minister Gehlot was the frontrunner to be the Congress president and Pilot was the chosen one to replace him as CM in the state.
However, that Congress plan to settle the Rajasthan power tussle never materialised.
Not just that, Pilot has now also raised questions on Gehlot’s intentions by citing an official function where the Rajasthan chief minister shared the stage with Prime Minister Modi and the two leaders heaped praise on each other.
As expected, Pilot’s outbursts have evoked a strong response from Gehlot thus setting the stage for another round of verbal duel between the two Rajasthan leaders.
Gehlot responded to Pilot’s remarks by reminding him about the party’s instructions to “maintain discipline.”
Kharge knows he has a daunting task at hand. He has had a first hand experience of the crisis in Rajasthan when as party’s central observer, he and senior leader Ajay Maken, were snubbed by majority of party MLAs from the Gehlot camp as they refused to attend a legislature party meeting.
The two Central observers had then submitted a report on the Rajasthan crisis based on which the party had recommended disciplinary action against 3 MLAs believed to be close to Gehlot.
With around a year for assembly polls in the state, Pilot is keen that the Congress acts against the three MLAs who were served show-cause notices.
“I believe that Congress is an old and disciplined party and party discipline is applicable to all, no matter how big an individual may be,” he said.
Pilot said it cannot happen that the party considers a development as indiscipline, issues notices and seeks replies but no decision is taken.
“I believe the decision will be taken soon,” he said.
The crisis in Rajasthan gave an interesting twist to Congress’s presidential elections with the then frontrunner Gehlot opting out of the race and the mantle of party leadership going into the hands of Kharge.
Sachin Pilot would have hoped that Kharge as party chief would have acted on his own report on the Rajasthan crisis.
But can Kharge resolve this crisis? The options before him are limited. The Gandhis have made their preference clear. They want Pilot to lead the party in the assembly elections next year and Gehlot to support him.
Kharge knows this is easier said than done. Gehlot has the support of nearly 100 MLAs and is unlikely to step aside for Pilot, who has not managed to get the backing of more than 20-25 MLAs.
Pilot has even warned the Congress leadership about Gehlot’s next moves by suggesting that the chief minister may dump the party and join hands with the BJP.
“The PM praised the chief minister and this is an interesting development because the Prime Minister had praised Ghulam Nabi Azad in the same manner in the House in Parliament. And we all have seen what circumstances were created after that,” Pilot said.
The reference was to Azad quitting the Congress and later forming his own party.
“So it is an interesting development that the PM has praised the CM, and it should not be taken lightly,” Pilot said.
During the Mangarh event, PM Modi had called Gehlot the senior-most chief minister in the fraternity of CMs when he himself headed the Gujarat government.
Gehlot on his part praised PM Modi’s leadership which he said had given recognition to India on the world stage.
It will be interesting to see how Kharge handles this power tussle in Rajasthan because it may well decide the future of the Congress in the state.
(With inputs from agencies)