Signalling a truce with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on July 6 said every member will work together to ensure that the Congress government continues in the State, which is usually known to vote out an incumbent government.
After a four-hour brainstorming session at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters on the upcoming Assembly polls, party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, asserted that a “united leadership” will face the polls and warned of strict action if any leader raises internal matters outside the party forum.
The meeting was presided by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and was attended by senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Mr. Venugopal, Mr. Pilot, AICC’s Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Randhawa and State unit chief Govind Dotasra among others. Mr. Gehlot, who had recently injured his toes, virtually joined the election strategy meeting.
“We never announce the Chief Ministerial candidate, but we will fight the election together and unitedly,” Mr. Venugopal told reporters at a press conference when asked under whose leadership the party will contest the upcoming polls.
Though no specific peace formula was spelt out, the Congress general secretary made two announcements that are being seen as the first steps towards acting on some of the issues raised by Mr Pilot.
Mr. Venugopal said that the Ashok Gehlot government would shortly bring in two Bills in the Assembly: one to ensure that the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) is reformed by laying down minimum eligibility criteria for members, and another Bill to set out stringent punishment for those involved in leaking question papers of various recruitment exams.
Mr. Pilot had also raised the issue of alleged corruption during the previous BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje. In the closed-door meeting, Mr. Gandhi is said to have urged the State leadership to make the allegations of corruptions against the previous BJP government in Rajasthan as well as the Centre a poll issue. He also said the government should be accessible to party workers and lamented that the organisation doesn’t reward people for their effort.
Mr. Pilot said, “We had a very fruitful discussion regarding the upcoming election and everyone expressed their views with an open mind. The Congress will have better results than the 2018 Assembly election and we will form the government.”
He added, “The BJP tried its best to divert attention but we will corner them on issues concerning corruption. The party has taken note of all the issues that we have been raising regarding corruption, reforming the Public Service Commission and there will be action very shortly.”
Asked about his individual role, Mr. Pilot said, “I will follow whatever directions the party gives me”. The Hindu had reported that the party high command was keen to ask Mr. Pilot to head the election campaign committee.
At the official briefing, Mr. Venugopal said that the party would announce its list of candidates as early as September and “winnable candidates” would be selected on the basis on ground surveys.
Lauding the State government for its “pro-people” welfare schemes, Mr. Venugopal said, “We will win on the basis of the government’s work. From tomorrow, the MLAs will start a door-to-door positive campaign.”
Former Minister and Baytu MLA Harish Chaudhary, who was reportedly asked by senior Congress leaders recently to broker peace between Mr. Gehlot and his former deputy Mr. Pilot, said all issues had been resolved and the party would contest the Assembly election under the “core leadership” of Mr. Kharge.
“No leader will issue a statement outside the party forum and such an act would be treated as indiscipline. This was a demand raised by the participants from the State, and the party has accepted it,” said Mr. Chaudhary.
Party workers in the State, however, were baffled at the AICC refraining from officially announcing any peace formula between Mr. Gehlot and Mr. Pilot at the meeting.
The sources in Congress said that the clarity on the issue would have brought a sense of unity and satisfaction among the party workers owing allegiance to factions led by the two leaders.
There were also indications that the vacant organisational posts in the Pradesh Congress Committee and the party’s district units, including those of District Congress Committee presidents, would be filled up shortly. The lists with these appointments might be issued by the AICC within a day or two, according to party sources.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, who also attended the meeting, said the Congress had set the goal to defeat the BJP in the polls and the people of the State were with the ruling party. “The BJP has let down the nation. It is involved in corruption and it has backtracked from the issues raised by itself earlier. The party which talked about changing the country has utterly failed,” he said.
