The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is all set to enter Rajasthan on the evening of December 4 and will leave the state around December 20. It is exactly these 15 days that are giving the Congress leadership sleepless nights as the party wants to ensure that the unsolved ‘Kaun Banega CM face’ conundrum does not cast a shadow on Rahul Gandhi’s efforts.
For the Congress, the apprehension is that the Rajasthan leg of the Yatra may break its spirit. It’s for this reason that organisation in-charge KC Venugopal was sent to Jaipur and a joint press conference between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot attempted to show all is well.
But within 24 hours, posters have come up projecting Gehlot as the real and only leader of the state, a claim countered by Pilot’s supporters who say their posters were pulled done by the authorities on instructions from the chief minister’s office.
The Yatra, in its Rajasthan leg, is to pass through areas such as Jhalawar and Dausa that are seen as Pilot’s strongholds. Though party sources say it was ‘convenience’ that dictated the decision and not intent, the route is precisely the reason why Gehlot’s supporters want to ensure that their presence overshadows Pilot.
Amidst the power tussle came a tweet from Pilot that showed him tying his shoelaces (some say in a similar fashion to what Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra did during the Yatra) and running with supporters, asking if people will join him. So is this Pilot’s way of usurping the Yatra or is he registering his presence?
Those close to Pilot say they are aware that Gehlot will not cede an inch of space to his bête noire during the Yatra, ensuring that he gets little traction. In fact, some fear that a section of leaders may be asked to stoke trouble to shift the blame on Pilot. But those with Gehlot call it yet another baseless allegation. They say as chief minister, it is but natural that Gehlot will be the main lead after Rahul Gandhi for the Yatra.
Pilot’s tweet and the poster war between the two sides have made it clear that the handshake engineered by KC Venugopal does not have a strong grip. With a complete trust deficit, even the top leadership knows that the two sides can never come together. The signs are ominous with elections in the state next year.
Pilot feels that a decision in his favour is inevitable as he has got assurance that his time will come. But a delay reduces him to being a lame-duck chief minister. On the other hand, Gehlot is unlikely to give up his stake and place. This was clear despite his apology to Sonia Gandhi when bang in the middle of the Yatra’s MP leg, he attacked pilot who was seen by the side of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.
The party has told both leaders that a call on who remains or becomes chief minister will be taken only after December 20 when the Yatra leaves the desert state. Hence, till then, they must ensure there is no storm.
Read all the Latest Politics News here