Will Rajasthan go the Punjab way?

Whichever way the crisis in Rajasthan Congress, arising from the revolt of MLAs owing allegiance to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, is resolved, it will further weaken the party and diminish the credibility and authority of its leadership. It is ironical that it was precipitated by Gehlot, who was, by most assessments, expected to become the president of the party after elections next month. He is considered the high command’s confidante and nominee, and was set to file his nomination. The high command means the Gandhi family and in spite of all democratic pretensions, its writ was expected to run in the party. But its trusted lieutenant has embarrassed it now because it was the high command that had proposed to make Sachin Pilot the Chief Minister after Gehlot. The promise was given to Pilot two years ago when he had revolted against Gehlot. Gehlot has challenged it now.

This is the first time a state party is rebelling against the wishes of the high command and it was unthinkable till recently in the party. There are several questions that arise from the unseemly scenario playing out in Rajasthan. Was the succession plan for chief ministership discussed with Gehlot when it was decided that he would contest the president’s post? Were the state party’s and the legislature party’s views taken into consideration on the matter of succession? Gehlot had stated in public that he wanted to retain the chief ministership even if he became the president. Rahul Gandhi, who is on a pada yatra, had in public disapproved of it. Did the party’s observers for the state, Mallikarjuna Kharge and Ajay Maken, and the AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, assess the situation in the state party before a meeting was ostensibly called to elect Gehlot’s successor? What was the hurry to elect the successor even before Gehlot had filed his nomination papers?

The answers to these and other questions will not bring any credit to the party and it will certainly be seen as having grossly failed in managing its internal matters in one of its last two shelters in the country. The mismanagement in Rajasthan is similar to the mishandling in Punjab where leadership changes were made before the Assembly elections earlier this year. The experiments in Punjab worked against the party and it lost the elections miserably. Rajasthan is also set to face Assembly elections next year. Democratic election of a president was expected to strengthen the party, but it is contending with a whole lot of problems even before the word go.