Uniting state leaders in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh a big test for Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s trip to Rajasthan that begins on Thursday will not be just about reaching out to party workers. There is unease in AICC over the lack of cohesion between PCC chief Sachin Pilot, ex-CM Ashok Gehlot and AICC general secretary CP Joshi, affecting state Congress’ fight against LaMo scamhit Vasundhara Raje. Similar disunity among leaders of MP and Chhattisgarh PCCs too are denting the party’s ground war against Vyapam-hit Shivraj Singh Chouhan and rice-scam affected Raman Singh regimes.

"BJP’s most decorated regional satraps are engulfed by scams, yet, the lack of experienced leaders in PCCs and disunity among top leaders are affecting our potential to exploit the situation," said an AICC leader.

In Rajasthan, the articulate Pilot has been touring the state and Congress’ win in assembly bypolls and local body polls gave him talking points after the LS poll rout. Yet, he has an uneasy relationship with the Gehlot and Joshi camps who command the loyalty of major chunks of organisation and workers. This has hit his attempts to connect with the party’s traditional bases of Rajasthan and to mobilise the rank and file beyond Jaipur. Gandhi during his scheduled meeting with PCC leaders on Friday will underline the need for unity.

In MP, PCC chief Arun Yadav remains a spectator given his inability to rally Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kamal Nath, Ajay Singh and other top leaders from the state. Since Congress’ loss of MP in 2003, the high command has unsuccessfully experimented with four different lightweight PCC chiefs. The Opposition Congress scene is similar in Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab too, were the respective regimes are faltering.

"For organisational management, Rahulji will have to ink an honourable power-sharing deal among stake-holders. Insisting on singlehorse carts in states won’t work, especially if the chosen horses are not war-horses," said a veteran who managed many PCCs in the past.