DNA Exclusive: Ashok Gehlot to ‘lead’ Congress? Are Gandhis trying to hit three birds with one stone?

With Rahul Gandhi yet to “make up his mind” and Sonia Gandhi citing health reasons to not take up the Congress president post, speculations are rife that a non-Gandhi could return to the helm after 23 years, and the name is Ashok Gehlot. 

The reports of Sonia Gandhi offering Gehlot the top post in the party emerged following their meeting in the national capital, a day after the Rajasthan CM said that the party was “unanimously” in favour of Rahul gandhi returning as the Congress chief. 

If the 71-year-old Gehlot, backed by Gandhis, files his nomination, it is quite possible that the G-23 grouping could also field a candidate to challenge him. 

Speaking to DNA India, Rasheed Kidwai, senior journalist and author of the book ‘24 Akbar Road’, said that another possibility of Sonia agreeing to return as a full-time president and appointing two-three working presidents, including Gehlot, cannot be ruled out. 

If this happens, the Gandhis will not only be getting rid of the long-pending issue of leadership void, but will also be able to silence the criticism of familism and dynasty politics by getting a party chief outside of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

If Sachin Pilot or Ashok Gehlot is appointed as one of the working presidents, it may also pave way for the leadership to resolve the power tussle between the two leaders in Rajasthan, which goes to polls next year. 

The Gandhis are said to have promised Pilot that they would elevate him to the CM’s post a year before the state goes to polls. 

Other than being a staunch loyalist and an OBC face, Gehlot is a prominent Congress face in the Hindi heartland, where the party is struggling to regain its lost ground ahead of the 2024 battle against the BJP. 

However, Gehlot is said to be reluctant as he may have to leave the CM’s post in the event of him taking over as party chief. 

Renowned journalist Dr Mukhopadhyay opines that the organisational polls will become futile if a non-Gandhi, who is “remote-controlled” by the top leadership, is chosen for the post in case the Gandhis refuse to take it up. 

However, a fact that cannot be denied at the same is that elevation of a non-Gandhi to the top post in the party will spark a a sense of distrust within the party and may also aggravate factionalism and a hierarchical battle.    

Kidwai opined that election of a non-Gandhi as the party president “will be a major vote of no-confidence against Rahul Gandhi.” 

“Technically speaking, this non-Gandhi thing is technically very plausible and something which is very good, but it has some technical problem,” he said. 

Taking about the G-23, a possibility of the grouping forcing a contest cannot be ruled out. However, a real contest in the Congress’ organisational elections was seen in 2001 when Jitendra Prasada contested against Sonia, but lost by 7,448 votes. 

But it is tough to say as of now, who will be the G-23 candidate? Reports have it that both Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, who refused to accept party posts in J&K and Himachal Pradesh respectively in clear protest against the leadership recently, are not eager to contest for the president post. 

Kidwai opines that whether Azad or Sharma, they are not against the Gandhis, but have a “problem with the perceived hierarchy” in the party. “They are basically opposed to the idea of K V Venugopal getting so much prominence or Randeep Singh Surjewala.”

In that case, the grouping seems to be left with the options of Shashi Tharoor or Manish Tewari. 

However, it needs to be understood that contesting the election and winning it are two different ballgames. Given the composition of the electoral college and the hold of the family over the party, the candidate who has the subtle backing of the Gandhis will have a definite advantage.