After a relative period of dormancy, the fissures amongst the Rajasthan Congress have started to widen once again. Speaking about the cabinet expansion and the political appointments in the state, Sachin Pilot on Wednesday 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 state government has been making political appointments from time to time. I believe nearly two-and-a-half-year term of the government is now over,” Pilot was further heard saying.
Ashok Gehlot continues to sit on the chair of Rajasthan’s Chief Minister simply because he is in the good books of interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who during the tumultuous phase last year in Rajasthan politics had saved Ashok Gehlot’s government, in face of a rebellion by Sachin Pilot and his camp.
Without the intervention of Sonia Gandhi, Ashok Gehlot was bound to lose his chief ministership, as even Rahul Gandhi favoured Sachin Pilot’s bid for the post.
Reported by TFI in December last year, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken had camped in Rajasthan to mediate between the two quarrelling members and tried reaching an ‘amicable’ solution. Maken devised a formula, according to which, Sachin Pilot was to shift his political ground to New Delhi where the central Congress power resides and support the Congress Prince Rahul Gandhi.
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However, the recent statements prove that Pilot’s heart is still in Rajasthan and he wants to supplement his political career from the home state only and not New Delhi under the shadow of Rahul Gandhi.
Meanwhile, the rift between Gehlot and Pilot ceases to exist. Rajasthan government and the public has been crippled by the clash of egos between the two leaders. The situation 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.
Perhaps, the Congress high command somehow manages to thwart another round of rebellion from Pilot by giving some false assurances. But in the longer scheme of things, Pilot is increasingly feeling distanced from the party which is only supporting an old horse in Gehlot and meting a step-brotherly treatment to Pilot, who was the pivotal key in Congress storming to power in Rajasthan assembly polls.