Later this year, the Rajasthan Assembly elections will be held. It is currently the only large state controlled by the Congress party, but regrettably, the grand old party has struggled to maintain peace within the state ever since it won the Assembly elections here in 2019. Senior leader Sachin Pilot, who formerly served as the state’s deputy chief minister, has now openly announced his rivalry with Ashok Gehlot, the chief minister and a Congress veteran. Despite a firm stance taken by the Congress high command, Pilot engaged in a one-day hunger fast in response to the Gehlot administration’s alleged failings to move the corruption proceedings against former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief minister Vasundhara Raje forward.
Since the rivalry has intensified over the past five years, Pilot has come to the conclusion that his only choice is to defy the Congress high command. When two prominent leaders openly argue with one another, the electorate and the supporters break down, and Sachin Pilot, the Tonk MLA from the desert state, becomes increasingly dissatisfied, which could push the Congress toward a Punjab-like catastrophe. The general public is confused by these clashes. Though there is no doubt about one thing: Congress has not learned from its errors in Punjab. One may say they have learned, which is why they did not change Gehlot as the CM. But given that the party did not attempt to put out the flames between the two, that would be a weak defence. Gehlot’s non-removal could be motivated more by necessity than by strategy.
The BJP, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, must be recognised and acknowledged for the stability and decisiveness it symbolises. There have been discussions about the Congress party challenging the BJP. The most important question in this situation should be: How can a political party oppose the BJP when its own leaders can’t be kept together?
According to members of the Congress, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge wished for Pilot to join the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and take a significant position in national politics. However, the issue is that the high command of the Congress does not comprehend the source of unrest within Pilot. He has established his own support base and has been operating in Rajasthan since 2014. The Gandhi family encouraged him to pursue his ambitions of becoming the state’s chief minister but, in the end, they essentially betrayed him. It is evident that a Gujjar leader like Sachin Pilot has support on the ground in Rajasthan. However, the Congress is also aware that it can only form the government with Gujjar support and the backing of some groups. Congress believes that Ashok Gehlot is the best person to serve as the unifier needed to create a government in Rajasthan. Gehlot was chosen as the chief minister in the most recent Assembly elections by the Congress high command because he is a steady figurehead who is well-liked by people of all political leanings. The Congress had numerous opportunities to make clear judgements regarding Sachin Pilot but instead, they kept him waiting. Now that he has reached his breaking point, the party is unable to provide a workable answer.
Strong rumours suggest that Sachin Pilot would launch a new political organisation, or join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the BJP, or other parties. However, people close to Pilot are of the opinion that he is neither Ghulam Nabi Azad nor Amarinder Singh. Pilot is a fervent politician and Congressman who wants to fight for his rights within the party. But trying to go too far with such a leader’s loyalty is not a wise course of action. There can be no question that the Congress will need both Pilot and Gehlot in order to win this year’s elections in Rajasthan. While there are differences between the two of them as leaders, the Congress must now choose a single course of action.
Mallikarjun Kharge has been serving as the president of the Congress for more than six months now but he consistently avoids making any firm decisions. Kharge is keeping the status quo with regard to the overhaul of the Congress, which will ultimately be detrimental to the party in every aspect. To put out the fire of intra-Congress infighting in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and other states, Kharge failed to act decisively and constructively. He also declined to participate in an internal election for the Congress Working Committee (CWC). He is increasingly thought to be simply carrying out the Gandhis’ instructions. But Kharge needs to understand that the party’s image is being damaged by these disputes, internal strife, outspoken Opposition, and other related issues. All these occurrences cast doubt on the effectiveness of Congress’ organisational structure. A party cannot merely be concerned with enhancing Rahul Gandhi’s reputation while disregarding its overall reputation. In India’s current political climate, this kind of inclination is detrimental to the development and advancement of a political party.
The growing unhappiness with Sachin Pilot is not a separate problem. For a long time, the party’s organisational capacity has been diminishing, and this is why Kharge was seen favourably by the Congress supporters who wanted to see the party’s structure improve. It is important to understand that the grand old party is not even able to get all of India’s Opposition parties together. The Congress has become extremely haughty, and the Gandhi family is the subject of its entire discourse, which is why this has happened. In order to get the support of the bulk of the Opposition political groups, the party had to make contact with Nitish Kumar, the leader of the Janata Dal-United (JDU) and the chief minister of Bihar.
The Congress party has faced discrimination in many states, including West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and others, and its top leaders have been forced to join new organisations. Currently, the Congress is the primary source of support for Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, and the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), led by Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh. After Hemanta Biswa Sarma defected from the Congress to join the BJP, the same narrative was repeated in Assam.
The Congress has undoubtedly seen a lot of partygoers leave, and the grand old party has since moved on. But those were the olden days. It can no longer afford to lose influential figures like Sachin Pilot. State after state has been lost by the party, and prominent officials are quitting every other day. The party’s president, Mallikarjun Kharge, will have to alter the status quo of the party since the Congress would require a plan to maintain order in its own house. Congress will require a strong organisation, regional leaders, and strong agendas centred on states and the Centre in order to win. Kharge needs to view Pilot’s uprising as a summons to modify Congress’ approach of waiting, until a catastrophe occurs, before taking proactive measures.
The author is a columnist and Doctoral Research Scholar In Media & Politics. He tweets @sayantan_gh. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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