Sachin Pilot and Congress, both diminished

The return of former Rajasthan Congress president and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot to the party after a month-long stand-off may have saved the party’s government led by Ashok Gehlot for the time being and brought some relief to the party, but it may have weakened and diminished it. Pilot and his supporters had all but gone over to the BJP camp,
but had not made a public declaration of it only for tactical reasons. He may only have been waiting for
more deserters to join him, which did not happen. He may have realised that the rewards for defection may not be as big as he had thought or had been promised. He also may only be taking a step back and waiting for a better opportunity in future. More probably, the BJP may have found that while they might gain something by Pilot’s entry, there would be loss also, which could be more than the gain. Pilot is clearly not as welcome and acceptable in the Rajasthan party as Jyotiraditya Scindia was in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress’ position is worse. The party can rightly be blamed for the desertion of one of its brightest young leaders, and can equally rightly be blamed for welcoming him back. The spectacle of exit and re-entry of leaders in true Aya Ram Gaya Ram style in such a short time has not been witnessed frequently, and the political and moral turpitude of the players involved in the situation is all too clear. The Pilot who returns to Jaipur is not the Pilot who left for Manesar over a month ago. He is tainted and diminished and has a credibility deficit, and the party will also be the poorer for it, especially if he is rewarded with important positions. He will also be under scrutiny and suspicion because there will be a strong impression that he may only be biding time to strike again. Gehlot and his camp will not be happy with the prodigal’s return, however indulgently the central leadership may view it.

It is not known what transpired between the party’s leadership and Pilot, and what the terms and conditions of his return are. It seems both have surrendered to each other, but the surrender of an organisation to an individual is worse than its reverse. Pilot did not have any credible reason to leave the party, but the party should still think why leaders and workers are leaving it. It is also in the unenviable predicament of having to welcome such leaders back into its fold. The only person who evokes some admiration through the entire drama is Chief Minister Gehlot, who made a fight of it, without giving up.