For opposing his party, Ashok Gehlot was supposed to be punished around this time. But only Sachin Pilot, the chief minister of Rajasthan’s enduring opponent, continues to advocate for consequences for him.
Six days ago, Sachin Pilot, 45, switched from being passive-aggressive to being downright angry, and he warned bluntly that Rajasthan’s discipline violators must face the consequences. The environment of indecision in his native state, he added, must end. Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot frequently remarks on the limitless dreams of young leaders and requests that they wait their turn.
Sachin Pilot has been waiting for the opportunity to succeed the 71-year-old Ashok Gehlot as Chief Minister for more than four years. When he was 47 years old, Ashok Gehlot was appointed Rajasthan’s first chief minister. The state election is just over a year away, so time is of the essence. Ashok Gehlot has demonstrated repeatedly that he will not resign from his position, and in particular, will not do so for Sachin Pilot. In order to make this point, he called a meeting of more than 80 of the party’s 107 MLAs in Rajasthan about six weeks ago. They came together to inform the fabled High Command of the Congress that Sachin Pilot could not be the new Chief Minister if Ashok Gehlot were to be elected President of the Congress and the party was to do so as a result.
Ashok Gehlot was pressured by the Gandhis into taking the top leadership position in Congress, which was not something he desired. When Rahul Gandhi publicly rejected his request to simultaneously hold the office of Chief Minister and President, he proposed a different use case: as President, he would choose the next ruler of Rajasthan.
At the time, Sachin Pilot made an effort to maintain his cool, at least in public, by saying that the party would decide the appropriate course of action. After the Gandhis gave Ashok Gehlot the cold shoulder for two to three days, Mallikarjun Kharge became the party’s leader, Gehlot issued a formal apology for the actions of his supporters, and Sachin Pilot, well, waited. Right up until his unexpected outburst last week.
Senior Congress officials claim that Sachin Pilot’s chances are not good. Ashok Gehlot is currently in charge of the Gujarat elections for the Congress, a task that is far from simple. The Congress is reportedly short on funds, even for a campaign for a state election. These are just two reasons why Arvind Kejriwal replacing Congress as the main Opposition party in the state is a proposition that keeps coming up. Daily and front-page advertisements with his photo promote the various policies of his government to make it clear that his appointment to Gujarat does not mean Rajasthan is up for grabs. Pure boss move. At the moment, Sachin Pilot is actively campaigning in Himachal Pradesh, giving speeches at three to four meetings each day to show that he is still loyal to and committed to the Congress party.
