In Rajasthan power tussle, Gehlot's minister demands CMship for Pilot; infighting casts shadow on Bharat Jodo Yatra

The power tussle in Rajasthan took a dramatic turn today after a minister from Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s cabinet came out in support of his bete noire Sachin Pilot, batting for a change in the chief ministership. 

Rajasthan Environment Minister Hemaram Chowdhary has aggressively pushed for replacing Gehlot with Pilot as the chief minister ahead of the Assembly polls, scheduled to be held next year. He also urged the party to take action against the over 80 MLAs loyal to Gehlot, who revolted in September over the possibility of Pilot be appointed as the chief minister, in case Gehlot took the job of party president. 

“Party’s general secretary Venu Gopal had assured to resolve the September 25 issue in two days, but there has been no decision on the same till date," he said while adding that this has sent a wrong message. 

Replying to a question on Pilot, Choudhary said that he (Pilot) has not been on any post for the last two years, but the amount of work he has done for the party is not hidden from anyone.

"He (Pilot) is popular among the masses and his events draw huge crowds, but he has not been on any post. How will the party become strong if such a popular and famous leader is not given any chance?" the senior leader questioned.  

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra will pass through Rajasthan in the cold days of December but political temperature within the party is high, with leaders supporting former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot demanding solutions to existing issues.

Even as infighting between the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot camps continues, Gurjar leader Vijay Singh Bainsla has dared the party to organise the yatra without resolving pending issues of the community he belongs to.

At the same time, the opposition BJP is geared up to launch its 'Jan Akrosh Movement' from November 29 to counter the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and corner the Gehlot government at a time when it completes four years next month.

The yatra is scheduled to enter Jhalawar in Rajasthan from Madhya Pradesh in the first week of December. During almost 20 days in the state, it will traverse through Jhalawar, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar. Party sources said the yatra will pass through 18 assembly constituencies, of which 12 are held by the Congress.

The fight between Gehlot and Pilot over the chief minister's chair, which started with the party's victory in the 2018-assembly elections, has led to two political crises in the state.

One erupted in July 2020 when Pilot and MLAs supporting him rebelled against Gehlot. The other was in September this year when MLAs loyal to Gehlot rebelled against the party high command's probable move to make Pilot the new chief minister when Gehlot was in race for the Congress president post.

Ahead of the yatra, party senior leader Ajay Maken, who along with Mallikarjun Kharge had come to Jaipur to hold the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on September 25, has expressed his unwillingness to continue as the Rajasthan incharge.

In a letter to the party president recently, he cited the developments on September 25 when Gehlot loyalists held a separate meeting at the residence of Parliamentary Affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal, because of which the CLP meeting could not take place.

After the meeting, more than 90 MLAs, all Ashok Gehlot loyalists, submitted their resignations to assembly speaker CP Joshi. The resignations have not been accepted so far and are pending with the speaker.

Party sources said Maken is unhappy that no action has been taken against the three leaders held responsible for the parallel meeting of September 25: Dhariwal, Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi and Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) chairman Dharmendra Rathore so far despite issuing them notices.

(With inputs from agencies)