Unlike Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, his Rajasthan counterpart is proving to be a far trickier customer for the Gandhi trio to tame.
Ashok Gehlot has been avoiding a much-awaited expansion of his council of ministers essentially to accommodate supporters of archrival Sachin Pilot. Some Pilot supporters had resigned when then Rajasthan Congress chief was removed after he staked claim to Gehlot’s job. Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, assisted by Ahmed Patel, had averted a revolt. As part of a compromise formula, certain promises were made to Pilot which remain unfulfilled since August 2020. Pilot is increasingly turning restless.
When Navjot Singh Sidhu succeeded in becoming Punjab Congress president in spite of expressed reservations by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, many in the Congress felt Rajasthan would be next on Gandhis platter. It was. AICC general secretary Ajay Maken was sent to Jaipur to enforce high command’s wishes. Maken accompanied by AICC general secretary in charge of the organisation, K.C. Venugopal, spent 48 hours, met almost every party MLA and state unit functionary of some consequence. But days have passed since the July 28 visit, and there is no forward movement yet—in other words, no sign of cabinet expansion.
Gehlot, while almost defying the Gandhis, is deftly trying to avert what many thought was inevitable. Unlike Captain Amarinder Singh, he has made himself scarce in party’s Delhi durbar. Gehlot has been questioning and contesting Maken’s insistence to accommodate Pilot supporters. Last heard, he wanted to “independently verify” the number of Congress MLAs backing Pilot.
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Informed Congress sources say Gehlot is waiting for Sonia Gandhi to travel abroad. The interim AICC chief is said to be going to the US for her medical checkup. It is believed that one of the Gandhi siblings, Priyanka, would return with her. Given Rahul Gandhi’s workload in Parliament and outside, the informal deadline for cabinet expansion before August 15 might be missed. Gehlot camp hopes to bring the bogey of panchayat polls to further delay the cabinet expansion.
Gehlot, a politician among the politicians, is trying to test Sachin Pilot’s patience. His game plan is to somehow force a “wrong move” by Pilot. As a leader who has been part of the Congress since Sanjay Gandhi era, Gehlot is said to be fancying his chances. His calculations are that the Gandhi trio will keep the pressure through AICC emissaries such as Maken and Venugopal instead of directly summoning him or drastically altering the political equations in the state.
Some party leaders feel Gehlot is overplaying his cards and indulging in delaying tactics. This school of thought expects some direct and drastic action, which it believes is part of the ‘Naya Congress’. The time period between now till August 15 is therefore being closely watched.
The author is a senior journalist. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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