Deja vu: After Sachin Pilot's rebellion, voices of concern rise again in the Congress party

After Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday declared open rebellion, claiming that the Ashok Gehlot government is in minority as over 30 Congress MLAs now support him, voices are once again rising from inside the party for introspection. If Sachin Pilot goes the Jyotiraditya Scindia way and joins the BJP (which is highly improbable, as sources have assured THE WEEK), it will be the second young, high-profile exit from the Congress in a matter of months.

The Congress had ample indications of what was coming its way; after Scindia's exit, numerous voices within the party had warned of rebellions and exodus of disgruntled young leaders. But there seems to have been no action on the same, raising an oft-invoked question: Has a leadership crisis engulfed the Congress?

One of the most high-profile voices to raise concern over the Pilot rebellion was former Union minister Kapil Sibal. “Worried for our party. Will we wake up only after the horses have bolted from our stables?” he tweeted.

Karthi P. Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P. Chidambaram, tweeted in an oblique reference to the incident: “Why is @Google a successful company? Because it lets talent to become entrepreneurial within the organisation. Lessons to be learnt here.”

Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted: “I passionately believe that our country needs a genuinely liberal party headed by centrist professionals committed to inclusive politics and respectful of India’s pluralism. All who believe in the founding values of the Republic must work to strengthen @INCIndia not undermine it.”

Former Congress leader Scindia, and a long-time close associate of Pilot, aimed a dig at the party: “Sad to see my erstwhile colleague, @SachinPilot too, being sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan CM… Shows that talent and capability find little credence in the @INCIndia.”

Deja vu?

A lot of similar concerns (in the lead-up to Pilot's rebellion) were raised within the Congress party, by senior and junior leaders alike, after Scindia defected in March. Then, there were murmurs within the party that "this could encourage other disgruntled leaders in the Congress to raise banners of revolt". There were even open expressions of grievances. 

Senior Haryana Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, engaged in a turf war with former CM Bhupinder Hooda, had described Jyotiraditya Scindia's exit from the party a big blow and said there are many devoted leaders across the country who feel "alienated, wasted and discontented".

Nagma Morarji, a movie actor-turned-Congress politician and general secretary in the All India Mahila Congress, had then tweeted: "There’s a lot of discontentment among many of us seems like the party totally fails to see it @SachinPilot after a time it’s not abt ideology anymore it’s abt recognition of ones efforts and given one an appropriate due so it’s not surprising @JM_Scindia left many will follow too."

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Ashwani Kumar said Scindia's exit was unfortunate and has certainly disheartened Congressmen. "It is also necessary to introspect so as to control the fallout of the resignation. This would require a series of steps and I am sure the Congress high command is seized of the gravity of the situation," he said.

Former chief of the party's Karnataka unit chief, Dinesh Gundu Rao, had then stressed that it was time for Rahul Gandhi to lead from the front. "It is time for him and the senior leaders to make drastic changes at the top. We can't go on like this anymore. @INCIndia needs him and he needs the party," he had tweeted.

What happens next

Even if Pilot does not join the Congress, he could draw out the leadership struggle in Rajasthan. A Congress Legislature Party Meet is scheduled on Monday, and though the Congress has reportedly issued a whip directing every MLA to attend, Pilot has, reportedly in a statement, said he will not attend the same.

At the same time, ministers and Congress MLAs gathered at Gehlot's official residence in the state capital for a meeting, to express support to the chief minister amid the power tussle. Party leaders were in a huddle at the CM's residence till late at night after Pilot's announcement.

The Congress has publicly assured the Gehlot government has numbers to keep themselves afloat. Three Congress MLAs, who had left for Delhi, and were being counted among those in Pilot's camp in the power tussle in Rajasthan, said they will follow the party line. Addressing a press conference at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's home, Rohit Bohra, Danish Abrar and Chetan Dudi called themselves "soldiers" of the party and said they will do whatever the top leadership tells them. The legislators said their visit to Delhi was a routine affair and the media should not speculate over it. They added that it was the media that had created the Ashok Gehlot group and the Sachin Pilot group.

But, the party seems to be taking no chances. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and AICC general secretary Avinash Pande are in Jaipur to attend Sunday's meeting at the CM's residence, and the legislature party meeting on Monday (as observers). Ajay Maken was also headed there, as the Congress tries to avert the loss of another state after Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

Gehlot and other leaders are said to be in touch with allies and independent MLAs supporting the government, hoping to ensure at Monday's meeting that the Congress government had the numbers to retain power.

Pilot had been incommunicado for about two days. The All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of the state, Avinash Pande, said he had been trying to get in touch with the leader. I have left messages for him," he said.

-Inputs from PTI