Opinion | Ignored By Rahul, Haunted By Pilot: Inside Ashok Gehlot's Grand Meltdown

The top of the pack is Ashok Gehlot, 75, desperate and all guns blazing. Is it the Delhi-Jaipur-Jodhpur heat, a denial of Rajya Sabha berth, or the Nehru-Gandhi family's refusal to honour him with a sit-down, long conversation for the past three years, or the prospect of losing out on key AICC posts, ranging from the treasurer, general secretary in-charge of organisation, that has turned Gehlot into a motor-mouth over the last few days? 

In Jaipur, Gehlot, on his own accord, tried giving a spin to an inglorious chapter when a lifelong Congressman in him stunned Sonia and the rest of the grand old party by refusing to convene a meeting of the Rajasthan Congress legislative party. That was the time when Sonia had asked Gehlot to move to Delhi to take over as the 88th president of the AICC. Gehlot, sensing that arch-rival Sachin Pilot would be his successor, manipulated 92 party MLAs to defy the party high command's decision. On June 7, 2026, Gehlot rejected the claim that he had revolted against the Congress high command, adding that the MLAs were acting within internal party dynamics rather than opposing central leadership. He said that public perception was shaped by media narratives, which led to a misunderstanding of the situation.

'It's A Conspiracy'

Ashok Gehlot said he believed the situation was wrongly interpreted and even appeared like a planned conspiracy. "The situation that unfolded ... I feel it was a conspiracy. AICC observers arrived suddenly, a spectacle ensued, and I ended up with a bad reputation," he said.

Going by Gehlot's outburst, it remains unclear who he is accusing of 'conspiring'. Was it Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC observer Ajay Maken, or AICC general secretary in-charge of the party organisation, KC Venugopal?

Informed sources said more than the denial of a meeting with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Gehlot fears a return of Sachin Pilot as the state party chief in Rajasthan. If Pilot replaces Govind Singh Dotasra, who has completed nearly six years as the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) president, Pilot, 49, will be tipped to become Chief Minister in November-December 2028.

The Man Left Behind?

Gehlot's second worry is his growing irrelevance in the party. The seasoned campaigner is not called for consultations, nor is he being considered for any meaty role. Like Kamal Nath, his minions tried circulating a narrative that if the former Rajasthan Chief Minister is given a Rajya Sabha berth, he would try to get 24, Akbar Road, a Type VIII Lutyens Delhi bungalow, and gift it to the party for the next six years. The Congress, having taken possession of the new party headquarters at Indira Bhawan, Rouse Avenue, is under pressure to vacate 24, Akbar Road, which served as the party's office for decades, from January 1978 to February 2025. But Rahul Gandhi was reportedly indifferent towards this gesture to 'donate' the house to the party.

The 'Diggy Raja' Story

The story of another senior Congress leader comes to mind: Digvijaya Singh. Like his good friend for over 50 years since the Sanjay Gandhi era, Digvijaya Singh, 79, a politician among politicians, has been uneasy since his Rajya Sabha term concluded recently and is staring at an uncertain political future. Retirement, gardening, writing memoirs or listening to music isn't really 'Diggy Raja's' idea of happiness. However, instead of nursing a grudge against the party or alleging conspiracy, Digvijaya thanked Rahul, Sonia and the party leadership for giving him two terms in the Lok Sabha and two stints in the Rajya Sabha. He went on to say that he would do 'everything' to ensure that the party nominee for the Rajya Sabha polls, Meenakshi Natrajan, wins the seat. 

On a political level, Digvijaya, much like Gehlot, is running out of options in state and national politics. His son, Jaivardhan Singh, is well-placed in Madhya Pradesh politics, limiting the patriarch's role in the home state. Similarly, in the AICC secretariat, there is no role or designation awaiting the former Raja of Raghoagarh, a small principality that had a history of standing up to the famous Scindia dynasty. Interestingly, a quick recap of September-October 2022 would reveal how Digvijaya was very close to becoming the 88th president of the AICC when Ashok Gehlot revolted against the Congress high command, ultimately making way for Kharge's nomination for the coveted post.

He Had The Credentials

There is no dearth of Congress leaders who view Digvijaya with great respect. According to them, Rahul Gandhi should try to persuade Digvijaya not to hang up his boots. At an informal level, Rahul Gandhi has been told to use Digvijaya's services as an interface with seers, gurus and heads of the Hindu religious order to court the majority community. Digvijaya has been a vocal supporter of 'Sanatana dharma', opposing 'Hindutva', and has been often seen challenging the BJP, VHP, RSS and others to have a 'shastra Artha' [debate] on the issue of defining the spirit of 'true Hinduism'.

Party leaders say if Rahul Gandhi cares to look at Digvijaya's credentials, he would find several 'milestones' of sorts.  In February 2002, he had organised a 'Dighauri conclave,' aimed at breaking the VHP's hegemony over the Ram Janambhoomi temple movement. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi was heading the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, Digvijaya, as Congress Chief Minister, had defended the introduction of astrology as a subject in university education. The move had stunned many in the Congress. Between October 2017 and April 2018, Digvijaya conducted a gruelling padyatra around Narmada, walking for 192 days and covering a distance of 3,325 kilometres, across 166 of the 230 assembly constituencies of Madhya Pradesh. In the December 2018 polls, the Congress successfully beat the BJP in the state assembly polls.

Digvijaya Singh is also among the few politicians who have been elected representative in all three layers - nagar palika, state assembly and parliament. He has been head of the town corporation, MLA, state minister, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MP and chief minister, in addition to holding numerous party posts. During the 2012 Uttar Pradesh polls, he was the AICC general secretary in charge of the state and worked closely with Rahul to such an extent that many dubbed him as the latter's mentor. Old timers recall how when Digvijaya became minister for the first time in 1980, a former state chief secretary gave him a piece of advice. "There are three ways of raising money in politics - harjana (taxation), jabrana (extortion) and nazrana (gift). Opt for the third option if you ever require it."

Gehlot, however, is not Digvijaya. Not for him the magnanimity of letting the party high command decide his destiny. Congress insiders say that Gehlot's recent outburst has not gone down well. A party functionary even went on to indicate that it may end up costing him his Sardarpura seat in 2028. There are many in the grand old party wondering why Gehlot, who stuck with the Congress all through Indira, Sanjay, Rajiv, Narasimha Rao, Sitaram Kesri, Sonia and Rahul years, would go astray at the fag end of his political life, at the ripe old age of 75. "Ashok Gehlot ko gussa kyun aata hai?" they ask. 

(Rasheed Kidwai is an author, columnist and conversation curator)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author