Rajasthan Election Results: What’s in store for Congress’ Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot?

The Congress has lost two states – Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, with Telangana emerging as its sole consolation. The ‘revolving door’ policy of the desert state is set to oust Ashok Gehlot from power and mark the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) return. The saffron party has crossed the halfway mark of 101 out of the 199 constituencies that voted on 25 November in the state. The BJP has secured 49 seats and is leading in 66 seats, while the Congress has won 23 seats and is ahead in 46 seats, according to the trends at 4.50 pm on Sunday (3 December). What does Congress’ drubbing in Rajasthan mean for its key leaders in the state – Gehlot and his former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot? Let’s take a closer look. How Congress’ bigwigs performed The results may not be shocking for the Congress as several exit polls had indicated its defeat in Rajasthan. The party has secured 39.49 per cent vote shares as compared to the BJP’s 41.83 per cent, as per the latest trends. The incumbent CM Ashok Gehlot is set to win from his Sardarpura constituency by a margin of over 26,000 votes against the BJP’s candidate Dr Mahendra Rathore.

Pilot has trounced BJP’s Ajit Singh Mehta from the Tonk constituency by a margin of more than 29,000 votes. CP Joshi, Congress’ candidate from Nathdwara, has lost to BJP’s Vishwaraj Singh Mewar by 7504 votes. Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra is winning from the Lachhmangarh seat by a margin of over 16,000 votes against the BJP’s Subhash Maharia. Gehlot-Pilot tussle Gehlot, the son of a magician, has held the chief minister post in the state three times – though never in a row, noted Indian Express. When the Congress came to power in Rajasthan in 2018, Pilot was the state unit party chief. However, the party chose the veteran leader for the top job and Pilot was made his deputy. The rift between the two leaders often took centre stage during Gehlot’s tenure. When their strife was at its peak, Gehlot had called his former deputy CM ‘nikamma’ (useless) and even a ‘gaddar’ (traitor). Pilot, who aimed for the CM post, had rebelled against the Gehlot government in 2020, claiming the support of 30 MLAs in a 200 members’ Assembly. While Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had managed to save the state government, the revolt had cost Pilot his deputy CM post and his role as the president of the Rajasthan Congress. Last September, Gehlot was successful in sticking to his CM chair after the Congress high command tried to replace him with Pilot and move the 72-year-old to national politics. Over 80 MLAs from the Gehlot camp had threatened to resign, forcing the party to keep Gehlot in Rajasthan rather than making him the Congress president. The public feud between the took a backseat in the run-up to the elections, with the Congress trying to present a united front. However, it is believed that their tussle impacted Congress’ strength in Rajasthan. ALSO READ: Will it be Vasundhara Raje again? Who will be Rajasthan CM as BJP is set for a win? What’s next for the two leaders? As Gehlot and Pilot put their differences aside for the elections, the incumbent Rajasthan CM put his bet on his government’s welfare initiatives, including the health insurance scheme, to win the desert state again. Gehlot, who helmed the Congress’ campaign in the state, sought to achieve what had not happened in nearly three decades – the incumbent returning to power. It was his face on posters and banners publicising the government’s welfare schemes, with other state leaders getting a space only on the eve of the elections, noted The Week magazine. According to News18, Gehlot could consider a national role after the loss in Rajasthan . However, the veteran leader had told The Wire ahead of the elections, “I want to dedicate my life to the people of Rajasthan till my last breath.” It remains to be seen if Gehlot will change his mind after the Congress drubbing. He may attribute the loss to the internal rift within the party, as an article in ThePrint had mentioned earlier this year. Experts believe Pilot is likely to benefit in this situation as Congress reflects on why it lost three major states in the Hindi belt. He may get more responsibility if the state unit undergoes a leadership change. [caption id=“attachment_13460552” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] After Rajasthan drubbing, the Congress could give more responsibility to Sachin Pilot.[/caption] “While the Congress’ tally in Rajasthan has some amount of respectability and suggests a strong fight put up by the incumbent in the face of the tradition of the state voting out the incumbent, the defeat is expected to strengthen voices of opposition against Gehlot within the party. Demands are likely to be made for a change in the leadership in the state and the party high command would now be expected to bring about a generational change in the state,” according to The Week. With inputs from agencies