New Delhi: The month-long crisis in the Rajasthan Congress was resolved last week as the first family of the party — Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — stepped in to end former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot’s rebellion.
However, their role in managing the situation was supplemented by the efforts of three crisis managers who had been in the thick of the chaos since Pilot first rebelled against the state’s Ashok Gehlot government on 12 July. They are, general secretary K.C. Venugopal, chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, and senior leader Ajay Maken, all of whom are known to be trusted lieutenants of Congress heir apparent Rahul Gandhi.
Venugopal was present when Pilot and the 18 rebel MLAs met Priyanka and senior party leader Ahmed Patel in Delhi last week.
Surjewala and Maken, meanwhile, spent the last month frequenting Jaipur, holding press conferences and trying to project a confident front for the party amid the rebellion, which was seen as a threat to the stability of the Gehlot government.
The three senior party leaders were also present at the crucial Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meet Thursday, where Gehlot and Pilot came face-to-face for the first time since the rebellion by the latter.
आज मुख्यमंत्री अशोक गहलोत जी, संगठन महासचिव केसी वेणुगोपाल जी, प्रभारी अविनाश पांडे जी, प्रदेशाध्यक्ष गोविंद सिंह डोटासरा जी सहित साथी विधायकों के साथ विधायक दल की बैठक में हिस्सा लिया। राजस्थान की जनता के हित और किए गए वादों के अनुरूप कार्य करने के लिए हम दृढ़ संकल्पित है। pic.twitter.com/BHhfz4Frxt
— Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) August 13, 2020
Maken and Venugopal, apart from Patel, are part of the three-member committee formulated to resolve the grievances voiced by Pilot. And in deference to one of the “pressing demands” made by Pilot, Maken was made the Congress general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Sunday, instead of Avinash Pande.
Political analysts say the Gandhis’ choice of troubleshooters indicates the emergence of a new team of crisis managers in the party under Rahul and Priyanka, and the gradual “phasing out” of leaders who played the role earlier.
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Maharashtra and Manipur
Months before he took centre-stage in the Rajasthan affair, Venugopal was deputed by the Congress as its chief firefighter in Maharashtra, where differences between allies BJP and Shiv Sena spurred chaos after assembly election results were announced last year.
While the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Shiv Sena subsequently started talks to form a coalition government, the BJP attempted to gain office by way of an alliance with NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar.
After Fadnavis and Pawar Junior were sworn in as chief minister and deputy chief minister, respectively, Venugopal hit out at the BJP for their “political immorality”, saying he will have to “step down shamefully” after a trust vote.
The alliance between Fadnavis and Ajit proved short-lived and the former later resigned, admitting that he didn’t have the numbers.
In the Rajasthan situation, a Congress leader said, Venugopal played a bigger role than Maken or Surjewala.
“He was constantly meeting with and giving assurances to the 100+ MLAs in the Gehlot camp that they should remain patient. Ek mahina baandh ke rakhna bhi ek kushalta hoti hai (Keeping them together for 1 month is also a skill),” the senior Rajasthan Congress leader added. “But no move or decision was ever taken without the direct orders of the high command.”
Maken, meanwhile, was sent to Manipur in June as a rebellion in the NDA appeared to set the stage for the Congress’ return to power in the state.
The rebellion had seen three Manipur BJP MLAs join the Congress, and four legislators of the National People’s Party (NPP), one from the Trinamool Congress, and an independent withdrawing support from the NDA government, leaving it teetering in the 60-member house.
Maken arrived in the state along with Assam MP and Manipur state in-charge Gaurav Gogoi, was sent to Manipur, with the primary task of giving updates to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
“He (Ajay Maken) came to Manipur to assess the situation on the ground and give a report to Sonia Gandhi ji,” Manipur Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei told ThePrint.
But by the time the duo got into action, the Congress was already divided, especially over the leadership of former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh. The duo was also placed in quarantine in keeping with Covid-19-related norms, hampering their operability. Eventually, the opportunity slipped out of the Congress’ hands.
“The two leaders were kept in quarantine for a very long time. And by that time, the situation had changed as the four NPP MLAs who had quit the BJP-government were already being taken to meet Amit Shah to strike a deal there,” Meitei added.
The four NPP MLAs went back to the BJP-led coalition, and the BJP won a trust vote in the assembly last week after eight Congress MLAs skipped the session.
Of the eight MLAs who defied party whip, six have gone on to quit the Congress citing “lack of trust” in the leadership of Okram Ibobi Singh.
The Congress has now written to the Manipur governor citing violations in the manner in which the trust vote was conducted, and seeking another one.
Also Read: Would’ve apologised had I been in Gehlot’s place — Sachin Pilot after ‘truce’ with Congress
‘Shows who is gaining prominence’
Political analyst Rasheed Kidwai said, regardless of the outcome in different states, the choice of crisis managers indicates who the Gandhis are comfortable with.
“Troubleshooters like Ghulam Nabi Azad, A.K. Antony and others who Sonia was comfortable with, are nowhere to be seen. This shows they are now being phased out and Rahul’s trusted men are gaining prominence,” Kidwai said.
He added that if Rahul is to take over as president, Venugopal and Surjewala would immediately become very important in intra-party dynamics.
He suggested that the outcome in Rajasthan — where Gehlot has been made to attain a truce with Pilot — shows how team Rahul and Priyanka is gaining sway.
“People say Gehlot has won the battle. But Gehlot actually wanted Pilot’s exit. It is the Gandhis who have, in a way, overruled him, by way of ensuring Pilot stays.”
Rajasthan-based political analyst Prakash Bhandari said Gehlot agreed to “move forward” precisely because Venugopal and senior leader Ahmed Patel came to him bearing Rahul and Priyanka’s message.
“Both Rahul and Priyanka have a soft spot for Pilot. Venugopal and Patel’s job was to convince Gehlot precisely because of the staunch position the high command had taken.”
“The emphasis throughout this was what was of paramount importance to Rahul and Priyanka — saving the government, and not letting go of Pilot,” Bhandari added.
Also Read: Pilot thanks Congress for looking into issues he raised, says dissent was about self-respect