Rajasthan: The next big challenge for Congress as dust settles on Gehlot-Pilot fallout

An organisational revamp in Congress’ Rajasthan is likely soon following a truce between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot.

An organisational revamp in the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) is on the cards following a truce between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot. According to a report in The Indian Express, a revamp is expected soon as most organisational posts are vacant ever since Pilot was sacked from the Congress’ Rajasthan unit president post.

The party had appointed state Education minister Govind Singh Dotasara as the RPCC chief after Sachin Pilot’s removal from the post. Since then, most of the posts are vacant in the Congress’ state unit.

However, the party is likely to face an uphill task in revamping its organisational structure. Although the Congress’ central leadership is keen on accommodating the leaders from both camps and present an “united face” ahead of the civic polls, it wouldn’t be easy to bring them on the same table given that each camp had earlier veteod several decisions by the other.

Pilot was sacked as the deputy CM and RPCC president after a revolt against CM Ashok Gehlot. As many as 18 MLAs led by Pilot had rebelled last month and were camping in Gurugram. The rebels returned to the party fold after an intervention by the Congress’ leadership.

After Pilot’s sacking, the Congress was hit by a spate of resignations by his loyalists. Along with mass resignations in district Congress committees, several office-bearers of the state executive also quit. These leaders were entrusted with significant posts in the Congress during Pilot’s tenure as state chief.

Following this, then Congress’s Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Pandey took a decision to dissolve the entire state executive of the party along with all departments and cells. All district and block Congress committees were also dissolved.

Sachin Pilot was appointed as the RPCC chief in January 2014. He is credited for the party’s win in the 2018 Assembly elections and was the contender for the CM’s post. He was, however, sidelined by the party leadership and Ashok Gehlot was given the responsibility to head the government. Pilot was made Gehlot’s deputy.

“After Pilot was removed as party president, office-bearers in several districts and block Congress committees also resigned from their posts in solidarity. It will be a challenge for the party to accommodate loyalists from both Gehlot and Pilot camps when committees and departments within the party are reconstituted,” a senior Congress leader told The Indian Express in terms of anonymity.

The Congress leader told the daily that there was a sense of dissatisfaction among the Congress workers due to the tussle between Gehlot and Pilot. He said that “if this dissatisfaction continues among leaders and workers, it can adversely impact our performance in civic and Panchayat elections”.

Also, the Congress last week replaced Pandey with Ajay Maken as the Congress general secretary in charge of Rajasthan. Congress sources told the IE that Maken’s inputs during the revamp will be crucial since the party high command is keen on presenting a united front and accommodating leaders from both factions.

“Whatever happened over the last one month will not affect the party, as the issue has been resolved and all of us stand united,” he told The Indian Express.

The leader added that the focus now is to inject fresh energy into organisation and strengthen it.