Rajasthan: Congress to 'resolve' Ashok Gehlot-Sachin Pilot rift after Bharat Jodo Yatra

As the Bharat Jodo Yatra completed its Rajasthan leg and despite a presumed reconciliatory meeting between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, there seems to be no sign of a “full stop” to the feud between Chief Minister and his former deputy.

The ‘peace’ that the Congress party was trying to maintain in Rajasthan that disappeared during the party’s Presidential elections was shattered just before the yatra reached the state when Chief Minister Gehlot termed Sachin Pilot as “Gaddar” (a traitor).

The Rahul Gandhi-led foot march, however, has completed its party-ruled state without any controversy and rhetoric with party’s strategists convincing Gehlot-Pilot to put the “controversy” on the backburner for the sake of Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The party’s high command has chosen the period beginning December 24, when there will be a break in the Bharat Jodo Yatra, to try and resolve the dispute in Rajasthan. According to sources, party president Mallikarjun Kharge believes that the focus would be shifted from the Yatra if the party takes up the Rajasthan issue now.

According to sources, the party’s disciplinary committee on December 24 will submit its report to Kharge on MLAs Shantilal Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi, and Dharmendra Rathore who were issued show cause notices.

The Congress President is expected to take a decision on the issue of Rajasthan after the report is submitted and after discussing it with the Gandhi family, especially with Sonia Gandhi.

Notably, there was a “political crisis” in the party-ruled state during the Congress Presidential Election when there was a race between Gehlot and Pilot for the post of Chief Minister of Rajasthan. 

Apart from this, party sources have rejected speculations about the topic being discussed during Rahul Gandhi’s closed room discussion with Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot. According to party sources, on the last night of his visit to the state, Rahul met the leaders to share his experiences and give advice on exactly what happened in Rajasthan, but the discussion did not touch upon the controversial issue.