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Congress cautious on leadership issue ahead of Rajasthan election
Congress’ Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken offered to step down earlier this month, citing the September 25 events in which Congress observers failed to meet MLAs.
With elections in Rajasthan due sometime next year, the Congress is effectively left with a small window for any possible change of guard in the state government, which a large section of that party is already opposed to coming as it would this close to polls.
People aware of the matter said the opposition to change was based on the experience of the Punjab experiment last year that these leaders pointed to.
Five months before the assembly election, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh was removed in September 2021 but the Congress failed to retain the state. In the subsequent internal discussions, several leaders had admitted it was an avoidable move to replace a CM close to the polls.
In Rajasthan, the Congress has been grappling with the aspirations of Sachin Pilot loyalists while chief minister Ashok Gehlot has sweeping support within the legislative wing of the state unit. One attempt to change Gehlot and install Pilot failed on September 25 after the proposed meeting of the legislative group could not be held, in what was seen as an embarrassment for the party High Command.
Three days later, Pilot met then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi over the Rajasthan issue but there has been little effort to replace Gehlot.
“The MLAs have virtually demonstrated that any effort to remove Gehlot might amount to fall of the state government. Thus, the Congress leadership needs to tread cautiously on this issue,” a senior Congress strategist said, asking not to be named.
While Pilot loyalists expect that a decision would be arrived at before Rahul Gandhi reaches Rajasthan for the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the first week of December, party strategists were sceptical this would involve any major changes. “The yatra requires massive logistics and support of the state unit. Removing Gehlot before the Yatra comes to Rajasthan would result in chaos,” the person quoted above added.
Congress leaders argued that any change could have been done earlier this year as it would have given Pilot enough time to make the party ready for the poll. “But after the Amarinder Singh experiment failed, I doubt if the High Command would be willing to take similar risks in Rajasthan,” said a second leader, asking not to be named.
Congress’ Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken offered to step down earlier this month, citing the September 25 events in which Congress observers failed to meet MLAs.
His move was seen as a significant step as both Maken and Kharge were sent as observers to Jaipur to hold the CLP meeting on September 25. On return, both of them presented the report to then Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
