‘High command wants to replace the leadership and bring Sachin Pilot as CM’.
NEW DELHI: After Ashok Gehlot and his arch-rival Sachin Pilot made shady remarks against each other, trouble in Rajasthan Congress is brewing again, which has left the whole state cadre jittery. However, in the meantime, the high command could be assessing measures to punish the leaders, who they consider have taken the party hostage in the state.
In the higher political circles of the party, the buzz is that top Congressmen are preparing a hard-hitting response against all those who in the recent past denied the authority of high command, and went on their own or sided with Gehlot.
A party insider said, “Cabinet Minister Shanti Dhariwal, chief whip Mahesh Joshi and Dharmendra Rathore who were issued show-cause notice could face action after the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) ends. Moreover, Harish Chaudhary could also face action. He was among the trusted, but recently, he has turned wild and tossed all the guidelines of party discipline.” Sources in the party claim that the high command wants to replace the leadership and bring Pilot as the CM. But, at the same time, Gehlot does not want to leave the top position in the state. During the initial days of Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY), there were murmurs around Rahul Gandhi that the government in Rajasthan does not belong to Congress anymore. “If Gehlot is not listening to the central leadership, it makes Rajasthan government solely his and not of the Congress party,” a senior Congress leader said.
It is also believed that Rahul Gandhi wasn’t that strong before the yatra. But now, when he has emerged as a more powerful figure, it could allow him to take strong decisions within the party. A political analyst in the state, however, said, “If the party could suspend a single Gehlot loyalist, there is a possibility that it could weaken his camp’s resolve to stick with the veteran. However, everybody is busy guessing whether the floodgates of turmoil would open if Gehlot strikes back or sticks with his desire to hold on to the top executive chair (CM) in the state.
A senior Congress leader said, “If the high command is able to replace the leadership in Rajasthan, the important thing is what will Gehlot do next, or if he already knows that he is going to be replaced, there could be resistance from his side and he may already be planning to prepare counter-measures. The situation in Rajasthan is difficult. It is also to be seen if Rahul Gandhi is able to convince Gehlot and give him another important role in the party.” Also, the prominence of Gehlot has decreased within the party after the shameful loss in Gujarat where he was the observer. In addition to that, the September rebellion has reduced his footing among the party loyalists, which has resulted in him being unable to flex his muscles in decision-making inside the party. A section of Congress leaders say that Rahul Gandhi’s bent towards Gehlot has also vanished.