The era of BJP leader Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan may have concluded, but for Congress, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot remains significant in the state’s political landscape. While the party high command may not assign him a state post, Gehlot could play a crucial role at the central level.
Anticipating changes in the state, the appointment of the CLP leader is imminent. Similar to the reshuffling in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan might witness the promotion of new faces. The Congress leadership is likely to consider caste equations in these appointments, aiming to maintain a balance among Jats, Rajputs, and Brahmins to prevent factionalism. Jitendra Singh is reportedly a front-runner for the position of the state unit president.
Despite the electoral defeat under Gehlot’s leadership, a significant section of Congress values the effectiveness of the public welfare schemes implemented during his tenure. With the BJP government discontinuing many Congress-initiated schemes, there is an awareness that this move may provoke public discontent. Recognising Gehlot’s political experience as valuable, the party’s high command is considering assigning him key responsibilities in the organisation, focusing on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The party acknowledges two major reasons for the electoral setback: the lack of coordination between the government and the organisation and internal feuds causing significant harm. The dominant bureaucracy created a sense of betrayal among party workers, distancing the Chief Minister from the common people. The party leadership blieves that had the elections been contested unitedly, the outcome might have been different.
In this context, indications suggest that the Delhi leadership aims to leverage Chief Minister Gehlot’s political experience for the party’s benefit and will likely give him key responsibilities at the organisational level. A similar approach may be taken with former Chief Ministers Kamal Nath and Bhupesh Baghel, who might also be entrusted with organisational roles at the central party level.