Exclusive/From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may have a rethinking in playing the Punjab tactic in Rajasthan to install their favourite Sachin Pilot (44), a former deputy CM and a former state Congress president, as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan in the next 4-5 months, replacing Ashok Gehlot (70).
Rahul had adopted the tactic of summoning the Punjab Congress MLAs to Delhi twice and dropping a clear hint to them that he is throwing his weight behind Navjot Singh Sidhu for the next Assembly elections in the state. A frustrated Captain Amarinder Singh (79) was forced to resign since he made two trips to Delhi without succeeding to meet Rahul encouraging the party MLAs to revolt against him.
During his two meetings with Rahul and Priyanka here last week, Pilot was told that Gehlot enjoys a clear majority among the party’s 106 MLAs in the House of 200 and he should better muster support of the majority before staking claim to be the chief minister. He was assured that both brother and sister would work to get him such a support.
The Congress sources said Rahul had assured Pilot to muster support for him by contacting the influential MLAs and give an hint to them that he wants Pilot to take the reigns. Once the MLAs in any state get the hint on whom the party high command is backing, they automatically switch side to fulfil its wish.
With the Sidhu experiment’s failure in Punjab, the sources said Congress President Sonia Gandhi may put her foot down on her children’s strategy to anoint their friend Pilot as the chief minister since their exercise would only destabilise Ashok Gehlot despite having a clear majority.
Rahul and Priyanka may, however, still push for giving the state’s reigns to Pilot on the ground of Gehlot’s infrequent health due to the old age. Their plan is to persuade Gehlot to move to the AICC to lent his experience in building up the organisation and guiding the young generation.
