Rajasthan
Year after rebellion, Rajasthan former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot’s gripes remain | Jaipur News
JAIPUR: It is the first anniversary of the rebellion by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot against chief minister Ashok Gehlot that brought the Congress government to the brink of collapse. Pilot and 18 MLAs had left for Manesar in Haryana on July 12 demanding a change in the state leadership. They were accused of conniving with BJP to destabilise the Congress government. They were issued show cause notices by ACB and SOG for criminal conspiracy to destabilise the government by offering huge amounts of money to MLAs to desert Gehlot.
The Congress had accused Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of orchestrating the move through middleman Sanjay Jain after an audio came to the fore. So far nothing has been proved. Shekhawat refused to oblige the ACB by providing voice samples. The rebel MLAs had to return to the party fold as they were threatened with disqualification under the anti-defection law. They were short of one-third of the total Congress MLAs to effect a split in the legislature party.
The central leadership also stepped in with assurance of addressing their grievances. A three-member AICC committee was formed with late Ahmed Patel, AICC general secretary (organisation) K Venugopal and new general secretary in-charge Ajay Maken to look into the issues and accommodate them in the government. However, nothing much has happened in the last one year.
Ahmed Patel passed away in between. Though Maken set many deadlines, no concreate solution emerged. The Pilot faction of MLAs are clamouring for political participation but Gehlot has so far warded off any concession to them with the support of the Independents and the six former BSP MLAs who came to the CM’s rescue.
“Pilot, once the powerful party state president and deputy chief minister, has now been sidelined with many of his supports deserting him. Perhaps his inexperience and impatience took a huge toll on his political career, but further side-lining may cost Congress dearly,” said a party leader.
The Congress had accused Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of orchestrating the move through middleman Sanjay Jain after an audio came to the fore. So far nothing has been proved. Shekhawat refused to oblige the ACB by providing voice samples. The rebel MLAs had to return to the party fold as they were threatened with disqualification under the anti-defection law. They were short of one-third of the total Congress MLAs to effect a split in the legislature party.
The central leadership also stepped in with assurance of addressing their grievances. A three-member AICC committee was formed with late Ahmed Patel, AICC general secretary (organisation) K Venugopal and new general secretary in-charge Ajay Maken to look into the issues and accommodate them in the government. However, nothing much has happened in the last one year.
Ahmed Patel passed away in between. Though Maken set many deadlines, no concreate solution emerged. The Pilot faction of MLAs are clamouring for political participation but Gehlot has so far warded off any concession to them with the support of the Independents and the six former BSP MLAs who came to the CM’s rescue.
“Pilot, once the powerful party state president and deputy chief minister, has now been sidelined with many of his supports deserting him. Perhaps his inexperience and impatience took a huge toll on his political career, but further side-lining may cost Congress dearly,” said a party leader.
