Oasis in the Rajasthan desert

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot (right) with Sachin Pilot (left) KC Venugopal in Jaipur. PIC/PTI

Why do air mishaps occur? There could be several reasons for a crash-landing or mid-air disasters. In the country's political sphere, a Pilot with the first name of Sachin had to abort his sortie after taking off gallantly and gliding for a considerable time. Ground support from the ATCs in the Congress HQ ensured his safe landing, apparently because Pilot did not have the fuel to fly on further, and the owners of the nearest alternative airstrip refused him the landing, because he didn't have the quality and quantity of the cargo that could be of any benefit to them. The captain has now returned to his home base, perhaps wondering what went wrong with his adventure. The analysis of the aircraft's black box could help him understand the grounding -- the reasons that he doesn't know yet for his failure.

So, what was it that obviously went wrong for a rebel Pilot?

Blocked from all sides

Firstly, he could not gather the number to topple Ashok Gehlot's Rajasthan sarkar. And, since he didn't have the adequate strength to stage a coup, the BJP left him mid-air to fend for himself against the turbulence. Secondly, the BJP itself is known to have faced a blockade from its senior ranks in Rajasthan, which had queered the airstrip where the Congress rebel group could have reached, had the airspace been cleared for a safe landing.

Led by a veteran queen bee, a particular clan in the Rajasthan BJP did not want the turncoats to alter their roadmap. In their sight, they had neighbouring Madhya Pradesh where the defected Congress persons have been forced upon party loyalist CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, thus creating a possibility that the BJP leaders, now disenchanted because they are without the positions of power, could act differently in the future. In Rajasthan, a local citadel has thwarted a forceful denting effort from its intra-party rivals, even if it means the continuation of the Gehlot government. It seems a section in the BJP is willing to wait till their boss gets to lead the new government, either in case of a mid-term ouster of the Congress or the occurrence of the next Assembly elections.

Flexible controls

What has emerged as remarkable is the flexibility on display by the Congress controls based in New Delhi. The party's high command could have gone extreme in expelling the Pilot faction, but thanks to the communication channels that were kept open on both sides, the action was restricted to removing the rebel from the Deputy CM's and state party chief posts. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sensed the emergency of connecting openly with Pilot, who to show a brighter side of his loyalty, never said he would quit the Congress or slammed the high command like other rebels who have made the BJP their new abode.

Priyanka's intervention led to Pilot having a prolonged meeting with Rahul Gandhi. Pilot called a truce with Gehlot on the conditions, supposedly accepted by Rahul, with an assurance of earliest resolution.

Is it all over?

In the recent past, not many in the Congress have been as lucky as Pilot. When the party ignored their tantrums and demands, several prominent leaders joined other parties or formed their own parties, which later became forces to reckon with, and caused irreparable damage to the Indian National Congress. Some leaders returned to the Congress fold and rose to prominence yet again, and then left yet again to hamper the century-old party. For now, Pilot has saved himself a blot.

Future developments will have us informed about his satisfaction and the growth he has envisaged for himself in Rajasthan, where he seeks omnipresence in the Congress affairs, in which the party bosses might want him to keep Gehlot's new-found supremacy under check.

Having found an oasis in the Rajasthan desert, streamlining the party affairs in several other states where the Congress is suffering heavily because of infightings and issues with its dominating allies, should be a timely action by Rahul, even if he is unwilling to don the president's mantle again, and his sister Priyanka.

History says that even before rivals could first beat the Congress bigtime in the electoral field, the faction feuds had started weakening its organisation. The warring leadership has been a major factor in the pulling of the party down to a lowly perch where it stands in 2020.

Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore
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