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Congress to resolve Rajasthan crisis after Karnataka polls
The Congress is likely to take more time to resolve the Rajasthan crisis and host the much-anticipated meeting of opposition parties.
Citing its preoccupation with the Karnataka state election campaign, the Congress is likely to take more time to resolve the Rajasthan crisis and host the much-anticipated meeting of opposition parties.
A decision on Rajasthan, where the party has to quell a protest by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, is “likely to happen after the Karnataka poll,” a Congress leader said, declining to be named. “Meanwhile, talks are on (with Pilot’s camp).”
Similarly, the meeting of opposition parties is unlikely to take place before the Karnataka polls as Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge is busy campaigning in his state. Polling in Karnataka will take place on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13.
The Congress is firefighting in Rajasthan as Pilot, a former state party chief, is on the warpath with chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Pilot faces an uncertain future as there is little chance that the Congress will replace Gehlot ahead of the state’s assembly election due later this year.
Read: 'We are all united': Rajasthan Congress chief on Gehlot-Pilot tussle
Pilot has been vocal against Gehlot and sat on a fast against corruption, a step that didn’t get support from the party headquarters. The Congress dubbed his protest as an anti-party activity. Pilot justified his decision by saying it was against corruption of the preceding Vasundhara Raje government. The Congress has tasked former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath to sort out the issue.
During his fast, Pilot claimed no action has been taken on the corruption allegations against the Raje government and reminded that the Congress as an opposition party had promised an inquiry into an alleged mining scam. The lack of a probe can give an illusion of collusion between Gehlot and the Bharatiya Janata Party, he said.
The party wants to tread carefully in Rajasthan after it got its fingers burned in Punjab when it replaced sitting chief minister Amrinder Singh with Charanjit Singh Channi in September 2021, six months before the state polls. Singh quit the Congress, which subsequently lost power to Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party.
“We will not take any decision (on Rajasthan) in haste. Our focus is on the Karnataka election that is of huge importance for us. We don’t have a government in south India and we are hoping to win the poll,” a second leader said on condition of anonymity.
On Monday, Congress leaders indicated that the proposed meeting of opposition party leaders is unlikely to be held before the Karnataka election is over. “Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi are both busy in the Karnataka campaign,” the second leader said.
Read: BJP's advice to Rahul Gandhi as Sachin Pilot renews attack on Ashok Gehlot
The preparations for the proposed meeting are in full swing. Kharge has met with leaders such as Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, and Bihar deputy chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav. He has also spoken to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
On Monday, Kumar and Yadav met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. Banerjee, one of the most influential opposition leaders, proposed the meeting be held in Bihar, the workplace of Jayaprakash Narayan, who was a staunch critic of the Congress.
Even as the discussions are on and many leaders have emphasised on the importance of opposition unity for the 2024 parliamentary elections, party insiders maintain all roadblocks are not yet cleared for an effective coalition. The Congress is hopeful about the meeting, as in 2003, a similar meeting of a divided opposition had led to the formation of the United Progressive Alliance that formed a coalition government, which ran the country for 10 years. Meanwhile, Kharge, the Congress’ Karnataka unit head DK Shivakumar, former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, former MP Rahul Gandhi and other leaders are busy in the Karnataka poll campaign. “Shivakumar is expected to cover 70 constituencies, while Siddaramaiah will campaign in about 60 seats,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. “Kharge will cover 40 seats and Gandhi will tour at least 30 seats.”
