New Delhi: Barely 10 days after he discussed Rajasthan politics with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Congress leader Sachin Pilot had a long strategy meeting with party chief Sonia Gandhi on Thursday. The meeting assumed significance as it came a day after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met Sonia to discuss the role of strategist Prashant Kishor and state politics.
"I have talked about the future of the Congress and how to take it forward in the state of Rajasthan...how we need to break the trend and return to power. Certain steps need to be taken to further strengthen the party," Pilot told reporters. Rajasthan will have assembly polls in 2023 and is one of the two states where Congress rules at present. The state has also been chosen to host the Congress Chintan Shivir from May 14-16 to prepare a roadmap for the future.
The role of Pilot is crucial as he had worked hard to deliver Rajasthan in 2018 as then state unit chief and wanted to be the chief minister but he had to make way for veteran Ashok Gehlot. Of late, a section of state leaders had suggested that Pilot be given the command of the state ahead of the next year’s assembly polls to beat the anti-incumbency. It is true that the Congress high command may not like to tinker with the status quo in the state but Pilot would certainly have a key role in the next year’s polls.
The meeting on Thursday also became important as Sonia, along with a host of senior leaders, has been discussing a plan to revive the grand old party as suggested by strategist Prashant Kishor. Before meeting Pilot, Sonia again discussed the proposals with Ambika Soni, P Chidambaram, and Jairam Ramesh. Rajasthan has been in the spotlight for the past few years due to the factional feuds between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot, who was his deputy earlier.
Pilot, a lawmaker from Tonk, had been deployed as state unit chief by Rahul Gandhi in 2014. In 2018, Pilot was made the deputy chief minister and was also allowed to retain the post of state unit chief but there was no peace between the two camps. As a result, a miffed Pilot had led a rebellion of sorts in 2020 and had camped along with his supporting MLAs at a resort in Haryana. Many had feared that he was about to switch to the BJP though Pilot kept denying the charge. Though the crisis was averted, Gehlot was successful in getting Pilot removed from the two posts and brought in his aide Govind Dotasra as the new state unit chief.
At that time, Priyanka had intervened in the matter and convinced Pilot to stay back. Last year, after much delay a reshuffle was done in the Rajasthan cabinet in which several of Pilot’s supporters were given ministerial berths. There were reports that he may be given a key central role but Pilot is keener to work in the state.
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