Confident of repeating the party’s government in Rajasthan, the Congress high command is unlikely to make any changes in the organisational set-up in the state. Indications are that the upcoming assembly elections will be fought under the leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot only.
The organisation will continue to be led by PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra. The leadership will clear the entire picture on Rajasthan after a meeting with Gehlot soon. The Chief Minister is likely to come to Delhi in the next couple of days. According to sources, the high command has turned down Sachin Pilot’s demand to change the PCC chief. In fact, Pilot wanted some other leader to be given the job of PCC chief.
He was trying to get his loyalist to be given the post of PCC president. Former MLA Rameshwar Lal Dudi’s recent meeting with Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge fuelled speculation about his name being considered for the post. But after assessing the ground reality, the high command found that replacing Dotasra will, in fact, pave the way for the BJP, consolidating its position. Dotasra is the only Jat leader to never lose any election.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had appointed Dotasra the PCC president at a time in 2020 when Sachin Pilot along with 19 MLAs allegedly tried to topple the government in Rajasthan. Gehlot’s alertness saved the government. The leadership then sacked Sachin from the posts of Deputy CM and PCC chief. Over the last three years, Gehlot and Dotasra worked together and strengthened the party. However, Sachin and his supporters continued the efforts allegedly to destabilise the government. Pilot opened a front against the CM in April this year. The high command intervened to control the situation. Pilot targeted the CM over the issue of corruption allegedly linked to the regime of former CM Vasundhara Raje. The reports recently appeared in the media saying that Sachin wants a new PCC chief to be appointed. Sources claim that Pilot has been offered the post of general secretary. After this, he demanded that Dotasra should be replaced by some other Jat leader.
The party leadership did not accept the demand as the Assembly polls are just four months away. Dotasra is controlling the organisation quite efficiently. He is quite popular as well. Harish Chaudhary is in charge of Punjab, and Rameshwar Dudi lost his seat despite being the CLP leader. So, the party will not take any risk. A big faction of the party is in no mood to change the PCC chief.
The party is likely to offer Sachin the post of campaign committee head. The high command will not yield to any pressure tactic while taking a call on any important organisational matter.
