Is this the lull before the storm in Rajasthan?

NEW DELHI: After former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s intervention, everything may be appearing calm and quiet in Rajasthan, but such a situation is unlikely to last. But what is certain is that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan would be a grand success.
The yatra is entering Rajasthan from Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, and will cover 521 km in 18 days passing through 18 Assembly seats in seven districts. Most of the seats are in the areas of influence of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena. The BJP has been winning most of the seats that are dominated by the Meenas and the Gurjars. Former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot claims himself to be the leader of the Gurjar community. But the fact is that this community goes with the BJP. Meenas are supposed to be Congress supporters.
But during the yatra, all eyes will be on whether or not Rahul Gandhi gives any importance to Sachin. In a bid to avoid any awkward situation during the Rajasthan leg of his yatra, Rahul Gandhi has described both Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot as assets for the Congress. The Gandhi scion also sent general secretary K.C. Venugopal to persuade both Sachin and Gehlot to remain united. After one such meeting, Venugopal claimed that all was fine in Rajasthan.
However, there is no noticeable change in the
attitude of Sachin Pilot and his supporters. Undoubtedly, they will ensure that Rahul Gandhi’s yatra remains eventless in Rajasthan. But media reports, and the hoardings along the yatra route, indicate that nothing is about to change in Rajasthan. Sachin’s supporters may again be back to their old tricks of destabilising the state’s Congress government. BJP, which too is facing infighting, wants the problems for the government to continue. Raje’s supporters want her to be projected as CM face ahead of the Assembly elections in Rajasthan. But the BJP leadership is firm that the elections will be fought on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity. Raje’s camp is not ready to relent. So, with the infighting going on in the Rajasthan unit of BJP, the saffron party wants the Congress deadlock to continue.
Sachin’s supporters are planting stories that only he will be the Congress face. A national channel is targeting Gehlot with this agenda favouring Sachin. This is being seen as an attempt to please Sachin as well as the BJP. In another development, Sachin’s supporters have quickly put up posters all along the yatra route. Neither CM Gehlot, nor the PCC chief, G.S. Dotasra, is visible in the posters. It will be interesting to see whether Rahul Gandhi takes note of these posters that are suggesting a parallel party system in the state.
Rahul Gandhi needs to realise that timely action alone can rid the party of internal problems. He did send his representative to Rajasthan to quell the infighting. But the lesson that Rahul Gandhi needs to learn is that action should be initiated on time. What is worth recalling is that Sachin Pilot attempted to topple the Gehlot government in 2020 and Rahul Gandhi is apparently aware of it. Despite all this, if the high command does not take action now, then it will be too late, as the BJP will succeed in benefiting from all this.