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Rajasthan CM's defiance worries Cong leadership

Kashmir Times. Dated: 6/24/2021 1:03:46 AM

KT NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, Jun 23: The Congress leadership is upset over the defiance lately by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot (70) in ignoring its repeated calls to accommodate the loyalists of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot (43), whom he had dropped from his ministry after a revolt in July last year that brought his government almost to a fall.

A top party source on Wednesday said Congress President Sonia Gandhi had taken in her hands the crisis in Rajasthan before it slips out of control once again. She also proposed a formula to accommodate Pilot's supporters in the government, but she was shocked to find Gehlot not even taking her calls.

She had asked AICC general secretary Ajay Maken, in-charge of Rajasthan affairs, to convey the formula to the chief minister for execution without any delay, but Maken finds himself helpless as Gehlot is not taking his phone calls nor responding to the messages and mails sent to him in the last three days.

The contrast is Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh (80), who made a second trip to Delhi on Tuesday on a call from Mallikarjun Kharge heading a 3-member panel set up to sort out the Punjab trouble and agreed to carry out certain changes as also implement the remaining poll promises.

Though cricketer-turned Navjot Singh Sidhu has been making damaging statements against him almost on a daily basis, but the chief minister is ready to accommodate him in a way the party leadership suggests to go to the polls early next year as a united force. Kharge is reported to have even told the captain that the elections will be fought under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and not declaring him as a CM candidate. The chief minister is even prepared to accept the idea if that satisfies Sidhu's ego, showing his maturity in not responding to Sidhu's charges the party sources said.

Pilot is understood to have conveyed to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that the leaders in his camp are restive as they feel betrayed since the promises made last year to end the revolt have not been fulfilled. She suggested to Pilot to come over to Delhi as a national general secretary to strengthen hands of his friend and her brother Rahul Gandhi, who is to take over the reigns soon, but he reportedly refused to accept any assignment until his supporters are suitably adjusted.

Sensing the trouble brewing for another revolt, she swung into action and prepared a compromise formula in tandem with general secretary incharge of organisation K C Venugopal and Ajay Maken. The latter conveyed the formula to Gehlot, asking him to accommodate some of Pilot's supporters in his ministry and the organisation. Sources said Maken's pleas were, however, dismissed by Gehlot with a silence.

Unhappy with the proposal, Gehlot declared that he will not meet anybody for another one month. The excuse was doctor’s advice as some 40 people in his office and security had been infected with Covid. He has been since then taking meetings through video-conference, delaying any possibility of cabinet expansion. Sources said both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have interpreted this as a defiance and asked Maken to get the compromise formula implemented as soon as possible.

The bitterness on both sides is increasing every day. An MLA in Pilot group even said: “The gossip in Rajasthan is that Gehlot listens to Vasundhara Raje (former BJP chief minister) more than Sonia Gandhi. The axis is troubling the BJP as well. The Chief Minister branded us as defectors and BJP stooge when we rebelled last year, but he has himself been sending negative vibes to the high command.”

The MLA pointed out that “wife of poet Kumar Vishwash, who abused Rahul Gandhi and even contested against him in Amethi, has been made a Rajasthan Public Service Commission member with a minister of state rank. The daughter of Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar has been made Information Commissioner. But Congress MLAs cannot be made ministers. What message does Gehlot want to send?"

A senior party leader said it is the leadership crisis at the top that has emboldened the state leaders to behave irresponsibility while the inability of the veterans to accommodate the aspirations of the young leaders has also created a major problem for the party. There are even reports that the Pilot may split the Congress and float own party if the matters linger on without a solution.