Rebels relent as Gehlot goes all out to win support

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has finally succeeded in winning back the support of Congress legislators who had turned rebellious last year. With most of the dissenters reportedly being with the CM, there is no threat to the Congress government in Rajasthan.

Factional fighting in BJP together with the changed political circumstances also led to Gehlot’s success in consolidating his position. Meanwhile, there is a dim possibility of former Dy CM Sachin Pilot leaving the Congress.

Sources say that most of the dissenting MLAS will be accommodated in the state Cabinet soon. The Congress high command has left everything to Gehlot to take a call on. According to sources, Gehlot may go for a Cabinet reshuffle soon after Covid subsides. After Jitin Prasad joined BJP, there was a lot of speculation about Sachin Pilot’s next action plan and about the future of the Gehlot government. What set the tongues wagging was that it was the death anniversary of Rajesh Pilot (11 June) last year that the “Bjpsponsored move” started to destabilise the Gehlot government. After the fall of the Kamal Nath dispensation in MP last year, the government of Ashok Gehlot had been targeted. Over a dozen MLAS led by Sachin Pilot had turned rebels. However, Gehlot managed to save his government. Later, all the rebels relented and returned to the party fold under pressure from the high command.

Congress had accused BJP of attempting to topple the government. Congress and BJP were found trading charges after an audio of a Central minister surfaced. The entire episode also brought to fore the internal

BJP fight. Former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje was conspicuous by distancing herself from the whole development. She was against toppling the government. With factionalism intensifying in BJP ever since, Gehlot continued to tighten his grip on the Congress organisation.

He started pacifying the rebels and succeeded in wooing most of them back. As a result, Indraraj Gujjar and PR Meena, who are said to be Pilot’s confidante, came on record admiring the CM. Vishwendra Singh also reposed trust in Gehlot. Dharmendra Rathore, who is close to Gehlot, also played a key role in wooing back the MLAS.

Sachin Pilot also fell in line after the Rajasthan crisis hit the headlines profusely. He sought to send out a message that he is neither destabilizing the government nor leaving the party. Sachin Pilot also kept the function to mark his father Rajesh Pilot’s death anniversary a low-key affair. High command also strictly asked the leaders not to create any scene against the government.

As a result, Sachin Pilot is in a fix. On the one hand, rebel MLAS left him to repose faith in Gehlot. On the other hand, BJP is facing its own internal problems. The defeat in Bengal has added to the BJP’S tensions. Most of the leaders who are holding the key positions in Rajasthan BJP are up in arms against Raje. Some Delhi leaders are said to be backing them. There is no denying that Raje is the only party leader who commands hold in the entire state. She continues to be silent despite all intra-party war. Meanwhile, the BJP high command is focused on the upcoming UP Assembly elections, which will have far-reaching implications as far as Parliamentary polls of 2024 are concerned.