The sparring between the Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot camp in Rajasthan Congress ceases to end. 50 functionaries of the Rajasthan Congress Youth Wing have been issued an immediate show-cause notice by the higher authorities, with few expected to be shown the door, citing instances of non-cooperation to the state President Ganesh Ghogra.
The reason for the internal conflict is intimately connected to the ‘civil war-esque’ events of last year. During the peak of the Pilot-Gehlot turf war, Mukesh Bhakar — a loyalist of Sachin Pilot and MLA from Ladnun, Nagaur was removed as Rajasthan youth party chief. Ganesh Ghogra who was holding the portfolio of a quaint State Secretary at the time was meteorically elevated to the post of Youth wing President by Gehlot so that the Pilot camp could be set in its place.
Ghogra’s promotion did not go down well with the other functionaries of the Congress and thus ensued a non-cooperation movement where the Pilot loyalists started giving cold shoulder to Ghogra and his ilk.
Bhakar was so miffed at the time that he hit out at the Rajasthan Chief Minister and scathingly remarked that “loyalty in Congress meant Ashok Gehlot’s slavery”. “This is not acceptable to us,” Bhakar had said.
" जिंदा हो तो जिंदा नजर आना जरूरी है
उसूलों पर आंच आए तो टकराना जरूरी है"कांग्रेस में निष्ठा का मतलब है अशोक गहलोत की गुलामी।
वो हमें मंजूर नहीं।— Mukesh Bhakar (@MukeshBhakar_) July 13, 2020
As reported by TFI, the political turmoil in Rajasthan Congress has started simmering once again, after a relative period of dormancy. Sachin Pilot last week reminded the Congress high command of the AICC reconciliation committee formed by Sonia Gandhi to address the demands of the Pilot camp.
“The recommendations of the reconciliation committee was formed in the Congress on the instructions of Sonia Gandhi should be acted upon immediately. There is no reason for delay,” said Sachin Pilot while talking to the reporters.
The committee initially comprised AICC general secretaries KC Venugopal, Ahmed Patel and Ajay Maken. Patel, however, died last year. Maken earlier said that political appointments and cabinet reshuffle would take place after the by-polls in Rajasthan.
“The committee was formed nine months ago but unfortunately Ahmed Patel ji died and its work could not be completed. I am hopeful and confident the committee will not delay any more and there will be prompt action on issues that we raised and the consensus that was reached,” added Pilot.
The in-fighting between the two camps is further expected to tear apart the foundation of the Rajasthan Congress. With the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc in the state, the functioning of the government has been crippled by the clash of egos between the two leaders — which is ultimately hurting the public.
The situation in Rajasthan is once again taking an eerily similar turn to that of Madhya Pradesh Congress where in-fighting between Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath led to the fall of the government, eventually paving way for Shivraj Singh Chouhan to fashion another comeback.
Safe to say, Gehlot had committed a self-goal by irrationally appointing Ghogra. Fast forward one year and he is cleaning his mess by engaging in a deep purge process to cleanse the party of dissenters.