The sticking point, as always, is the leadership brawl between Gehlot and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot.
Lawmakers belonging to Team Gehlot want Rajasthan CM to continue in his role if he becomes president of Congress or someone from their own camp takes responsibility. But the Team Pilot wants the old guard to pave the way for the new generations, allowing the former deputy CM to finally take the role.
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The resounding revolt of Gehlot’s loyalists has also fueled speculation that it could all be a “fixed match” designed to put an aggressive driver in his place by emphasizing his limited acceptability in the organization.
Here’s what you need to know about the political crisis in Rajasthan …
Why are Gehlot’s loyalists angry?
Over 80 MLAs, including some independents, submitted their resignation letters to state assembly chairman CP Joshi on Sunday about a possible move to appoint Pilot as the next prime minister.
They believe Pilot, who rebelled against Gehlot in 2020, doesn’t deserve to be the state’s prime minister. They want the party’s central leadership to take the views of lawmakers into account while deciding on the next CM.
Some of the MLAs have argued that Gehlot’s successor should be someone who helped save the government during the 2020 political crisis and not someone who was involved in trying to overthrow him, a reference to Pilot.
What do they ask?
The delegation put forward three conditions: a decision on the selection of a prime minister should be made after the congressional presidential election, the prime minister should be among those MLAs who supported the government during the political crisis in 2020 and not from the pilot camp. and AICC observers should hold meetings in groups rather than one-on-one as required by high command.
Previously, some MLAs had stated that Gehlot can fill both roles, that of prime minister and that of national president of the party. However, this seems unlikely since Rahul Gandhi previously reiterated the party’s commitment to “one man, one place”.
In particular, if Congress agrees to the first request and Gehlot continues to become the party president, Gehlot himself will answer the call to appoint his successor.
What does the Sachin camp want?
A handful of MLAs belonging to Pilot’s camp want the former deputy CM to be head of state, saying he deserves a chance after a long wait.
On Sunday, Saud Saidi, a member of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), said that people in Pilot Tonk’s constituency are eagerly awaiting the party to make a decision in favor of the young leader and believe that if he becomes prime minister, the district will benefit immensely.
Another congressional leader in Tonk said there is no better leader than Pilot to replace Gehlot.
Although Gehlot’s camp far exceeds Pilot’s, support for the latter’s candidacy has always been quite explicit.
This even led to Pilot’s rebellion against Gehlot’s leadership in July 2020, which triggered a month-long crisis in the state government.
The standoff ended with Gehlot remaining as CM while Pilot was stripped of his posts as deputy CM and head of the state CCP.
Since then, the number of MLAs loyal to Pilot has remained roughly the same, with only Congressional leaders from his Tonk constituency speaking on his behalf.
How is Congress handling the situation?
Party central observers Ajay Maken, who is also party leader in Rajasthan, and Mallikarjun Kharge Congress leader Sonia Gandhi yesterday called for face-to-face talks with sulky MLAs.
Both leaders waited for all lawmakers to arrive for the CLP meeting, but never showed up.
Instead, ministers Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi and Pratap Singh Khachariya met with Maken and Kharge to convey the message of the MLAs loyal to Gehlot. It was then that they declared their three conditions.
Earlier today, Kharge held talks with CM Gehlot and told him that there should be discipline in the party and that it must be kept together. The observations on the discipline are in line with Ajay Maken’s statement, who called the “parallel” meeting convened Sunday by State Minister Shanti Dhariwal at his residence an “undisciplined move”.
Sources now say high congressional and former Madhya Pradesh leader Kamal Nath is likely to step in to defuse the crisis.
What’s next?
Until now, Gehlot was said to be the preferred choice to lead the party in the absence of a Gandhi at the helm of business. He is a trusted name who has extensive experience and has Gandhi’s faith.
Even as leaders like Shashi Tharoor are running for election, Gehlot was seen as one of the favorites to win.
However, following the revolt of her loyalists, some leaders of the Congressional Working Committee are now urging Sonia to withdraw Gehlot from the race. Many wonder whether it will be prudent to move Gehlot to Delhi.
If Congress chooses Gehlot’s successor while he is still prime minister, MLAs loyal to him could explode in protest.
MLAs loyal to Gehlot have demanded that any decision on the prime minister’s face should be made after the election of the party president on October 19 and in consultation with Gehlot. This means two things: if Gehlot loses the presidential race, he will go as usual since he will remain the CM; but if he wins, Gehlot will decide his successor in the state, most likely a close collaborator in his camp.
The congressional leadership, as always, is again in a difficult situation.
