“The party must introspect,” After Pilot’s exit, Jitin Prasada and Priya Dutt show rebel passions

For young leaders in the Congress, who have the potential to hammer Rahul Gandhi’s Prime Ministerial ambitions in future, the party is now visibly beyond redemption. It has willingly plagued itself, shamelessly so, with the menace of having no higher authority than the Gandhis. As such, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), which is claimed by many in the party as the apex decision-making body, has become a mere rubber stamp of the dynasty, and those who once rebelled in the meetings of the CWC, are now looking at fleeing the disaster of a family business that the Congress has become.

Whether it be Himanta Biswa Sarma or Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Gandhis have historically been indifferent towards magnanimous losses, solely due to their unwillingness to democratize the party. Now, it is Sachin Pilot. 

Pilot was yesterday sacked as the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan and State Congress Chief, after he decided to not toe the Gandhi-line, and instead set out to carve a separate path for himself and his supporters. Also, yesterday, Sanjay Jha, who has surprisingly dissented against the Gandhis, found himself suspended from the Congress for “anti-party activities”.

Jitin Prasada, another senior Congress leader, who has never shied away from rebelling against the party high command, yesterday tweeted in support of Sachin Pilot, and said, “Sachin Pilot is not just a colleague but my friend. No one can take away the fact that all these years he has worked with dedication for the party. Sincerely hope the situation can still be salvaged. Sad it has come to this.”

Prasada has always been a rebel. Seldom will the leader be seen toeing the party, or rather, Gandhi line, as though what the dynasts have to say is the ultimate and eternal truth. Therefore, in 2019, when the Modi government abrogated Article 370, Jitin Prasada, along with Deepender Hooda and a battery of other young Congress leaders, had revolted against the then party line which aimed at ranting against the BJP government for having put 370 in the trash can. Back then, Jyotiraditya Scindia too had wholeheartedly supported the government. The Gandhis were, and continue to remain out of touch, and as a consequence, the battery of young leaders which tried to reform the Congress from within, albeit unsuccessfully, are now packing their bags and leaving.

Priya Dutt, Congress leader from Maharashtra who was fielded against Poonam Mahajan from North Mumbai constituency in 2019, has now said, “Another friend leaves the party both Sachin and Jyotirajya were colleagues & good friends unfortunately our party has lost 2 stalwart young leaders with great potential. I don’t believe being ambitious is wrong. They have worked hard through the most difficult times…The party must introspect to understand what’s creating this internal revolt.”

Shashi Tharoor too voiced his disappointment over the exit, or rather, unceremonious sacking of Sachin Pilot. The Thiruvananthapuram MP said, “I am sad to see Sachin Pilot leave INC. I consider him one of our best & brightest, and wish it had not come to this. Instead of parting, he should have joined the effort to make the Party a better& more effective instrument for his, and our, dreams.”

In their desperation to take on Narendra Modi himself, Congress is losing its dynamic leaders who command a fair amount of respect and liking over their constituents. Meanwhile, for a leader like Sachin Pilot, there is liking across the political spectrum. And while Pilot abandoning the private business pretending to run as a political party is indeed a big setback, rest assured, it will not be the last for the Congress.