It could have been a flashy confrontation of two rebels. Sachin Pilot will campaign in Gwalior, the territory of Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday. But Scindia will be absent, campaigning for her new party, the BJP, in the Malwa region.
Pilot and Scindia present the two sides of the rebel story within Congress. In fact, the social networks of Congress have already started to launch the “war” between the two as a battle between “tikaau and bikaau”. This refers to Sachin Pilot’s decision to stay with Congress and Scindia to leave and join the enemy camp (BJP).
They both represent the relatively new, “younger” faces that carry less baggage. And there is a congressional strategy behind having him campaign in parts of Madhya Pradesh for by-elections and electing Gwalior. Congress wants to show Scindia that loyalty is worth it and that Sachin Pilot is not only being seen as a face of Rajasthan, but will also be its national leader. In fact, after campaigning in Madhya Pradesh, Pilot will head to Bihar to campaign there as well.
Congress mocks Scindia for being relegated to being Madhya Pradesh Prime Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s second fiddle and getting nothing for joining the BJP except a seat in Rajya Sabha, which a senior Congress leader says ” He would also have gotten it in Congress if he had. ” remained in “.
There is a basic difference in what both Pilot and Scindia brought to the table. Scindia was an award for the BJP as he was one of the closest to Rahul Gandhi. In fact, Gandhi had recognized after Scindia’s departure “he was one of the few who could always come to my house and meet me without an appointment.”
When News18.com repeatedly asked Scindia about Rahul Gandhi, she refused to say a word except that she “believes in the dignity of silence.”
Going back to what the two rebels brought to the table, when Scindia resigned from Congress to join the BJP, 22 MLAs also left the party to join the BJP. This was seen as an influence of the Gwalior ka maharaja. And that’s why it’s important for Scindia to be able to deliver one more time in the election to make sure she’s not seen as a flash in the pan for the BJP.
As for Pilot, when he drove to Delhi with over 15 MLAs and stayed incognito with his group for over fifteen days, many within the BJP looked at him wondering if he would be able to deliver as Scindia. Unlike MP, in Rajasthan, Congress does not have a very small majority, so the BJP hoped that Pilot could break further. This did not happen because the Gandhis also learned a lesson and did not repeat the mistake they made in the case of Scindia.
They kept in contact with Pilot and made sure he returned “home.” Pilot has returned to Gehlot after being stripped of his PCC and his ministerial position. But there is assurance that Pilot’s demands will eventually be met. The cabinet shakeup to accommodate Pilot’s men has yet to take place. Scindia, on the other hand, was able to ensure that some of her people were housed in Shivraj’s cabinet.
But when Pilot hits the lanes of Gwalior, the question is ‘will he attack Scindia?’ Very unlikely as he can focus on his attacks on the BJP and Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Sources say that while Pilot was in a bad mood in Delhi, Scindia contacted him.
Scindia is believed to have sympathized with him and acknowledged that talent is never paid in Congress. Scindia told News18.com: “I accepted the fact that I was not appointed PCC and that someone else was appointed prime minister. I had a small contribution to the formation of the congressional government in Madhya Pradesh. But the positions are not what I longed for.” .
When Scindia’s complaint to the Gandhis that Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath were neglecting her fell on deaf ears, she realized it was time to pack her bags. Pilot also had a similar problem, but his rebellion did not work.
When News18.com asked Scindia if she thought Pilot should have left the party, Scindia again declined to comment.
So while Scindia has emerged as the successful rebel, Pilot has the one who has hit the pause button. And Congress would love this confrontation to make things uncomfortable for Scindia, who was one of Pilot’s best friends until he joined the enemy camp.
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