"Sachin Pilot Should Forgive, Forget": Ashok Gehlot Talks Of 2022 Stand-Off

The Ashok Gehlot versus Sachin Pilot feud in Rajasthan refuses to die down, emerging from the fault lines every now and then to dominate the headlines. 

The latest episode was triggered today by Ashok Gehlot's comments in Jaipur,

Gehlot had  taken on Pilot indirectly, stressing that on September 25, 2022, when he was asked to move to Delhi as party president and make way -- as many said -- for Sachin Pilot, the stand-off was not against the party high command. The rebellion of the 100 Congress MLAs was against Sachin Pilot, who was being readied to replace Ashok Gehlot, he said.  

"The September 25 episode was against the person whose name was doing the rounds to be sworn in as the next Chief Minister, Pilot sahab. A situation was created where 100 MLAs got together and they said 'Make anyone of us the Chief Minister. We stuck by the party and saved this government but we cannot have someone who went to Manesar and tried to topple our government as the next Chief Minister'. Now this was misrepresented as a revolt against the high command," Gehlot said. 

"If I had revolted against the high command would I have been allowed to continue as the Chief Minister? Sachin Pilot should also understand this. We are not his enemies. We have retained affection for him since he was a child. Whether it is him or my son Vaibhav, they were 2-3 years old then when we were MPs. So I always consider him like that even today, but I don't know who guides him in politics now," Gehlot told reporters in Jaipur. 

"I said forgive and forget... everyone can make mistakes. He made a mistake and he should admit it. If he had understood my sentiments that day he too, would have followed my advice of forgive and forget," he added. 

Gehlot's comments come against the backdrop of a Congress 'chintan shivir' held in Pushkar last week. Rahul Gandhi had addressed the training camp for district presidents of Rajasthan and Delhi on June 1. 

But the camp was marked by Gehlot's absence. Sources said the former Chief Minister met Rahul Gandhi at the helipad and then cited ill health and left for Jaipur, missing an important meeting on the sidelines of the event. 

But sources in the Gehlot camp claimed there was no such incident.

They said apart from the Rajasthan Congress President and the leader of the party in the assembly, no other senior leader was present at the Pushkar camp. No important meeting had happened on the sidelines of the Pushkar camp either. It was merely an informal chat with NSUI workers, youth Congress members and district presidents, they said.  

Gehlot had said nothing to Rahul Gandhi at the Kishangarh airport. He was, in fact, unwell and had returned to Jaipur, sources said.  

The former Chief Minister's absence at Pushkar, however, has set off a political buzz in Rajasthan. Sources suggested that the party is considering a leadership change in the state unit ahead of the next election.

That Sachin Pilot could be asked to return to the state and take the reins of the party as the current chief Govind Singh Dotasara's term ends, could have prompted Gehlot's comments, sources indicated. 

While Team Pilot has not responded, sources said the former Deputy Chief Minister need not explain himself as the entire episode of September 25, 2021, was played out in front of Mallikarjun Kharge who is now the party chief.

Kharge was one of the observers sent by the party high command to oversee the change in leadership in Rajasthan.