New Delhi: Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister, Sachin Pilot’s expulsion from the Congress appears to be a foregone conclusion, with Rahul Gandhi making it abundantly clear that the “Young Turks” were free to go wherever they wished to. What could also be a double whammy for the promising youthful politician is that the Bharatiya Janata Party too, is unlikely to admit him in its ranks, if he cannot muster the numbers required to topple the Ashok Gehlot government.
The BJP would not like to be viewed as a party that tried to oust Gehlot yet failed. Under these circumstances, it would encourage Pilot to form his own regional outfit, thereby leaving him in political lurch. On his part, Pilot continues to make overtures to the Congress leadership, hoping that he would be adjusted in the organisation and thus provided a respectable face-saver.
On Saturday, Congress sources stated that Pilot’s exit from the party was imminent, particularly after his repeated efforts to reduce the state government to a minority. Disciplinary action against him has been delayed since the party wants him to be both expelled from the organisation as well as face disqualification from the Legislative Assembly.
However, some of the senior leaders believe that his membership of the Congress should have been terminated post haste and an appropriate decision regarding his disqualification could be taken subsequently. The logic is that if a strong and decisive action was initiated against Pilot, it would send a stern warning to other leaders amidst the younger brigade who seem to be in “a tearing hurry to acquire power” and have been tweeting on social media in his favour.
What has irked the Congress high command is that Pilot and his supporters have been attempting to create an impression that there was a tussle going on within the party, between the seniors and juniors, when in actuality, this is not the scenario. In the case of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot was chosen over Pilot since he had wider support amongst the elected legislators, and also because the high command needed an experienced leader at the helm of affairs in a state that had been wrested from the BJP. Pilot had reconciled to being his number two but it is a very well-known fact that he and Gehlot were never on the same page.
The former Deputy CM had been in touch with many of his friends who had crossed over to the BJP and continued to weigh options all through his tenure in office. The immediate provocation for his raising a banner of revolt is being attributed to, in certain sections, his apprehension that a conspiracy to frame him in a sexual misconduct case had been hatched by his opponents. Therefore, the only way of pre-empting these possible accusations, was to make them look like retaliatory moves, if he rebelled.
Pilot’s ambitions have been known to the high command and even at the time when Gehlot was chosen to lead the government in Rajasthan, he had shown his resentment and defiance by retorting that he would “have to sell tea in London”. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, with whom Pilot has now been in some kind of communication, had at that point of time, categorically told him that if he wished to do so, he could go ahead with his plan. The snub had chastened him.
The tug of war that is being witnessed in the Congress also has its genesis over the failure of its leadership to put together a succession plan after Sonia Gandhi, who at present is its interim chief. This delay has created multiple power centres within the organisation and camps have sprung up, owing allegiance to either Rahul or Priyanka.
Less than ten days ago, Rahul had informed one of his colleagues that he was not in the race for the Congress presidentship but nudged by Sonia Gandhi, who wants him to be reinstated, an opinion in his favour from the elected Lok Sabha MPs was generated. In the meanwhile, Priyanka’s supporters have started mounting pressure that if Rahul was not willing, she should be given a chance to head the party.
For the past few days, the media in context of Pilot, has been presenting the Congress saga as the fight amongst seniors and juniors, while it is not precisely so. With Sonia backing Rahul, the seniors who owe their position and importance to her, cannot upfront oppose his elevation. In their understanding, the only way of stopping Rahul from making a comeback was to put their weight behind Priyanka.
It is common sense that if Rahul returns, the seniors would become redundant, with him having his own supporters in their place.
Thus, by making their preference for Priyanka known, the seniors have figured that neither of the two siblings would become Congress president and a non-Gandhi, as per Rahul’s wishes, post 2019 polls, would acquire the coveted position. This is also comprehended as the correct method of moving ahead in these troubled times.
The reality in the Congress is that nothing happens as per the plan but things take shape by default; the juniors do not seem to realise this. So far as the juniors are concerned, the Congress high command has placed them into two categories: the first list comprises leaders who owe their positions to the hard work put forward by their fathers. These include the likes of Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada etc. All of them came by plum positions much earlier than those who started in politics around the same time.
The second category includes people who rose through their sheer commitment and extensive work. Some amongst them, such as Himanta Biswa Sarma, left after getting no traction with the leadership, which made its choices based on its own whims and fancies. The remaining leaders have aligned themselves with one camp or the other. This, however, did not deter the privileged young leaders to pursue their sense of entitlement.
The multiple problems that have arisen in the Congress are on account of the absence of a redressal system. No one knows whose door should be knocked to elicit a response. Rahul functions with a team of inexperienced aides, who have dim ratings in the rest of the party. He does not have anyone like an Ahmed Patel or Ambika Soni, who stood beside Sonia Gandhi during her regular term, playing the role of trouble shooters.
K.C. Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala and Raju amongst others, lack the gravitas. In any case, the paradox is that while Rahul does not wish to head the party, he continues to actively make statements, thereby creating an impression that he was still holding the reins. He believes that he is well-versed while the fact is that he listens only to three persons—Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey and Sonia Gandhi.
Priyanka, despite being only a general secretary, has been asserting herself by taking up pertinent issues. However, she has always been made to backtrack if she attempts to cross the red lines drawn by Sonia. Therefore, the crisis in Rajasthan may momentarily be addressed by Pilot’s expulsion, yet it shall not suffice to correct the fault lines within the Congress.