Gehlot Vs Pilot: Congress manages to broker peace in Rajasthan, both agree to fight election together

The Congress party seemed to have brokered some sort of peace between the two warring leaders from Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, with both agreeing to fight the assembly elections in the state unitedly. 

Emerging from the meeting with the two leaders, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said: "We have decided to fight the election unitedly. Both are in agreement that the Congress party has to work together and definitely, we will win the election in Rajasthan. It is very clear that Rajasthan is going to be a strong state for the Congress party. We are going to win. Therefore, both Gehlot ji and Sachin ji have decided to go together. The Congress party will fight elections unitedly," Venugopal said, adding, "Both the leaders Ashok ji and Sachin ji agreed to the proposal on these things."

Venugopal said party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had a detailed four-hour-long discussion with Ashok Gehlot.

According to sources, Gehlot visited Kharge's residence around 6 pm, followed shortly by Gandhi. They engaged in discussions with Gehlot for approximately 30 minutes before Rajasthan's party in-charge, Sukhjinder Randhawa, was summoned.

Pilot, who has been criticizing the Gehlot administration for its alleged failure to address corruption issues during the previous BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje, joined the meeting at Kharge's residence two hours later. This face-to-face meeting with the top party leadership marks a significant development after a prolonged period of separation between the Rajasthan CM and his former deputy.

Kharge and Gandhi are currently engaged in discussions with leaders from states that will hold assembly elections, aiming to formulate a party strategy that will challenge the BJP's dominance in these regions. The party leadership is actively working to resolve the internal conflicts within the Rajasthan unit before the upcoming assembly polls, aiming to reconcile the differences between the two leaders.

Earlier in the day, the Congress leadership held discussions with prominent leaders from Madhya Pradesh, after which Gandhi expressed confidence in the party's ability to secure 150 seats in the state. Gehlot, prior to the meeting, emphasized that the party's high command is firm and will not offer any positions to leaders or workers as a means of appeasement.

This meeting comes shortly after Pilot issued an "ultimatum," stating that if the three demands he made to the state government were not fulfilled by the end of the month, he would initiate a statewide agitation. One of Pilot's demands includes a high-level inquiry into alleged scandals that occurred during Vasundhara Raje's tenure as Chief Minister. 
Gehlot, when questioned by reporters, dismissed reports of a formula being devised to accommodate Pilot, stating that such claims are baseless and likely fabricated by the media.

Gehlot emphasized that the Congress has never followed a tradition where leaders demand positions from the party's high command and those positions are granted in return. He asserted that the party and its high command are resolute, and no leader or worker has the audacity to demand positions in such a manner. 

The power struggle between Gehlot and Pilot has been ongoing since the Congress formed the government in 2018. In 2020, Pilot led an unsuccessful revolt against the Gehlot government, resulting in his removal from the positions of party's state unit president and deputy chief minister.

Last month, Pilot defied the party's warning and conducted a day-long fast, criticizing Gehlot for his alleged inaction regarding corruption during the previous Raje government.

• Ashok Gehlot
• Politics
• Rajasthan
• Sachin Pilot
• Congress party