Gehlot-Pilot tiff: Back-channel negotiations fail, Congress still hopeful of breakthrough

AICC in charge of Rajasthan Sukjinder Singh Randhawa told ETV Bharat that the party would soon resolve the issues between Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot adding that the party managers had hopes of a breakthrough before the May 31 deadline set by Pilot. -- Reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi:The Congress is facing a tough challenge in resolving the tiff between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot camps as attempts to find a common ground between the two through back-channel negotiations failed, party insiders told ETV Bharat on Saturday.

The Congress, however, expressed hope that the party would soon resolve the issues between Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot. “We are working on it. We hope to resolve the state issues soon,” AICC in charge of Rajasthan Sukjinder Singh Randhawa told ETV Bharat. The veteran’s comment came after the Gehlot-Pilot tiff was to land at party presidentMallikarjun Kharge’s table on May 24when a strategy meeting of key central and state leaders was summoned by the veteran. Pilot too had been asked to attend the conclave.

However, the strategy meeting had to be postponed to May 26 but could not take place even on Friday as no common ground between the Gehlot and Pilot camps could be reached through back-channel negotiations, said party insiders. Party managers had been at work to find a middle path since Pilot threw a challenge at Gehlot on May 15, the day the young leader concluded his five-day Jan Sangharsh Yatra against corruption.

"If the chief minister failed to announce any action in the corruption cases related to former BJP chief minister Vasundhara Raje by May 31, I would carry out a state-wide agitation," said Pilot. The tone and tenor of Pilot’s speech was clearly not liked by the AICC managers but they were still instructed by Kharge to keep calm and explore a peace formula between Gehlot and his former deputy.

According to sources, Gehlot is in no mood to announce a probe against Vasundhara Raje, saying such a move would not be feasible given the short time span left for the assembly polls and that such a probe report would take longer.

“Kharge believes in Gehlot but does not want to lose out on Pilot as well. Hence, the efforts for a patch-up,” said an AICC functionary. Rajasthan, which will have assembly polls later this year, is a high-stakes political battle for the Congress, which is banking on the social welfare schemes implemented by the Gehlot government to retain power.

“The people are liking the various social welfare schemes of the state government, especially LPG cylinder at Rs 500, free power up to 100 units, and women’s allowances. The Congress has a strong chance of coming to power again. However, the unity factor would also be key and will certainly enhance the party’s poll prospects,” said Randhawa.

According to the AICC in charge, the Rajasthan strategy meetings could not be held on May 24 and May 26 as Kharge had other preoccupations. “The party president will call a meeting soon but no date has been decided yet,” Randhawa said. This indicated the party managers had hopes of a breakthrough before the May 31 deadline set by Pilot.

Party insiders said the managers had achieved partial success in convincing Pilot that Gehlot will remain the chief minister till the polls and had given up his demand for a regime change but is still keen on a substantial role in the party matters. Accordingly, Pilot, who played a key role in the 2018 victory as state unit chief, may be named the campaign committee chief ahead of the assembly polls, the sources added.