After a high-level meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday, the Congress expressed confidence in resolving the protracted political battle between its top leaders in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.
Besides Kharge, in attendance at the meeting held at the party headquarters were former party chief Rahul Gandhi, AICC in-charge of Rajasthan Sukhjinder Randhawa, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee President Govind Singh Dotasra, Sachin Pilot, and other senior leaders from Rajasthan. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is currently recovering from toe fractures, participated in the meeting via video conferencing.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal briefed the media, stating that all leaders in Rajasthan agreed that the Congress could secure victory in the upcoming Assembly polls if complete unity is maintained. However, the party refrained from naming a Chief Ministerial candidate amid the ongoing tussle between Gehlot and Pilot.
“We never announce the Chief Ministerial candidate, but we will fight the election together and unitedly,” Venugopal responded when asked about the party’s leadership for the upcoming polls. He also highlighted the positive impact of Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in the State, citing successful outcomes in Karnataka as evidence.
Recalling the Congress’ triumph in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh during the 2018 polls, Venugopal expressed confidence that the positive atmosphere created by the party
The party announced the launch of its Assembly election campaign in the desert State from Friday, as Rajasthan gears up for elections later this year alongside Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.
The party affirmed its commitment to fighting together and reversing the trend of incumbent Governments being voted out of power in Rajasthan. The party’s top leadership also held deliberations on poll preparedness with leaders from the State.
The Congress will finalise its candidates for the elections by the first week of September, with the sole criterion for selection being their winnability. Congress leaders will commence a door-to-door campaign from Friday to connect with the people and highlight the schemes of the state government.
Over the past two weeks, Congress leadership, led by Mallikarjun Kharge, has held multiple rounds of meetings with leaders from all five States heading to the polls: Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Mizoram. A noteworthy shift has been Rahul’s consistent presence in these meetings, a departure from his previous tendency to skip such gatherings.
Expressing satisfaction with the party’s actions and assurances on the raised issues, Pilot told the media that he would abide by the decisions made by the Congress president, Rahul, and the AICC regarding his role going forward.
When questioned about the issues he has been raising and his calls for action from the Gehlot Government in Rajasthan, Pilot stated, “I have been raising issues of corruption in the previous BJP Government, paper leaks, and the need for reform in the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) to enhance transparency and accountability. I am pleased that the AICC has taken note of these issues and outlined a plan for action.”
The power struggle between Gehlot and Pilot has persisted since the Congress formed the Government in Rajasthan in 2018. Previous attempts by the Congress high command to reconcile the warring leaders have been unsuccessful.