All is right in Rajasthan and Gehlot is in his heaven, but for how long?

A combination of factors – the inability of Sachin Pilot and the BJP to ramp up numbers, Ashok Gehlot's failure to ensure the stability of his government without the former deputy CM and his supporters, and silence of BJP leader Vasundhara Raje – all combined to ensure that the Congress government in Rajasthan remained intact.

The month-long drama came to an end as Pilot met senior Congress leaders in Delhi on Monday. It also became clear that Pilot had failed in his attempt to destabilise the Rajasthan government. The best way out for Pilot was to save his face, and for Gehlot to save his government.

Also Read: Sachin Pilot and Congress, both diminished

3-member committee

Consolation for Pilot was the decision of the party high command to set up a three-member committee, the details of which are not yet known. Gehlot was made to swallow the insult of calling the rebel deputy CM names – nikamma (useless), gaddar (traitor) – but yet having to deal with him in the days to come. Although he had rebelled, Pilot maintained a dignified silence in the face of name-calling by Gehlot.

However, it is not known whether the suave Pilot will be back in Gehlot's ministry. The young leader said that he will not in Jaipur on Tuesday. But there is no final word on it yet. Still, there is no denying that he is the face of Congress in the future. He has already shown his ability in bringing the Congress back to power in 2018 as state president of the party.

Read: Congress credits Rahul Gandhi for Rajasthan peace

Who gained in the crisis?

As the crisis fizzled out, there was no winner in the entire episode. Neither Pilot nor Gehlot. Not BJP either. The Opposition in the desert state was not sure if Pilot would get the numbers to add to its own strength of 73 MLAs in a House of 200.

Another factor in the whole drama was the silence of former chief minister and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje. Except meeting BJP national president J P Nadda during the crisis, Raje did not utter a word related to the stalemate. The leader, who has confined herself to her Dholpur residence, is said to have the support of over 30 MLAs.

Both the central and state leaderships of BJP are wary of the former CM – she never hesitates to take on the party bigwigs, be it Amit Shah at the centre or the state leaders.

During the NDA regime at the Centre, as the central leadership imposed a person who was not her choice as state party president, Raje took her loyalist MLAs and paraded them in front of the gates of L K Advani’s house on Prithviraj Marg. Party leadership had to buckle down and accede to her demand. Her ties with Narendra Modi and Shah were never said to be cordial either