Sachin Pilot, a dissident Congress leader in Rajasthan, has embarked on a 125-km foot march from Ajmer to Jaipur as assembly elections in the state approach. The five-day yatra is seen as a direct challenge to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the party’s top brass, and comes just a month after Pilot defied a warning from the party by holding a daylong fast targeting Gehlot over alleged corruption during the BJP’s previous tenure in power.
Pilot’s latest move further increases the pressure on the Congress leadership in Rajasthan, as the party seeks to retain power in the upcoming elections. The former deputy chief minister has been at loggerheads with Gehlot and other senior Congress leaders since last year, when he was removed from his post following a rebellion against the government.
The party leadership had accused Pilot and his supporters of plotting to topple the government with the help of the BJP, a charge that Pilot had denied. However, after months of negotiations and assurances, Pilot was finally brought back into the fold and given a key role in the party.
Since then, Pilot has been trying to assert his authority within the party, and has been critical of Gehlot’s leadership on several occasions. He has accused the chief minister of neglecting his constituency and failing to deliver on his promises to the people of Rajasthan.
Pilot’s yatra is seen as an attempt to mobilize support for his cause, and to challenge Gehlot’s authority within the party. The former deputy chief minister has been crisscrossing the state for the past few months, holding meetings and rallies in various parts of Rajasthan.
He has also been trying to build a coalition of like-minded leaders within the party, who are unhappy with Gehlot’s leadership and want to see a change in the party’s direction. Pilot’s supporters say that he has the support of a large number of MLAs and party workers, and that he is the only leader who can take on the BJP in the upcoming elections.
However, Gehlot and his supporters have dismissed Pilot’s yatra as a publicity stunt, and have accused him of trying to destabilize the government once again. They say that the chief minister has delivered on his promises to the people of Rajasthan, and that the party is united behind his leadership.
The upcoming elections in Rajasthan are crucial for the Congress, as it seeks to retain power in the face of a resurgent BJP. The party has been in power in the state since 2018, but has been facing a tough challenge from the BJP, which is hoping to ride on the back of a wave of anti-incumbency sentiment.
The Congress is hoping that Pilot’s yatra will help to galvanize support for the party, and that it will be able to win the upcoming elections with a comfortable majority. However, the party’s leadership will have to work hard to reconcile the differences between Pilot and Gehlot, and to ensure that the party remains united in the face of a tough challenge from the BJP.
