Jaipur: Six months after becoming the single largest party in the Rajasthan Assembly elections, Congress faced an embarrassing defeat at the hands of rival Bharatiya Janata Party in the Lok Sabha elections 2019, losing elections on all 25 seats.
The power struggle between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot for the chief ministerial post in the aftermath of the Assembly elections is not unknown to anybody. After the long drawn tussle between the two camps, Ashok Gehlot was entrusted with the top post in the state, Pilot was made his Deputy.
Come, Lok Sabha elections, the leaders seemed to divide among themselves, the state for campaigning. While, the chief minister’s campaign was more focused on the Marwar region, Pilot covered the eastern stretch of the state.
After the rout Congress faced in the state, the party’s central leadership might look for a replacement for the post of PCC president which is currently held by Sachin Pilot. On the other hand, Gehlot’s bargaining hand with the party could have to bear the brunt.
Currently, in the 200 member Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Congress has 100 MLA and is in alliance with BSP, which has six MLAs. Congress’ pre-poll alliance partner Rashtriya Lok Dal has one MLA. Rajasthan government also has 12 of the total 13 independent MLAs in the ruling alliance. Bharatiya Janata Party with 73 MLAs and ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party with two MLAs stands at number 2.
What the future holds for the two senior politicians and the Congress party in the state, only time will tell.
