Gehlot Vs Pilot Rivalry Returns: Inside Congress's Never-Ending Rajasthan Power Struggle
Gehlot Vs Pilot Rivalry Returns: Inside Congress's Never-Ending Rajasthan Power Struggle Published By, Last Updated: June 08, 2026, 14:24 IST Ashok Gehlot has brought back
Gehlot Vs Pilot Rivalry Returns: Inside Congress's Never-Ending Rajasthan Power Struggle Published By, Last Updated: June 08, 2026, 14:24 IST Ashok Gehlot has brought back old wounds with his latest remark that Sachin Pilot "must accept the truth" and "forgive and forget" what happened in 2022. Rapid Read The roots of the Gehlot-Pilot rivalry go back to the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly election. (AI generated image) Just when Rajasthan Congress appeared to have put its most bitter internal feud behind it, fresh remarks by former chief minister Ashok Gehlot have reignited debate over the party’s leadership battle. The comments come amid growing speculation that Congress could once again entrust Sachin Pilot with a bigger organisational role in the state, with reports suggesting he is being considered for the post of Rajasthan Congress chief as the party looks to rebuild after its 2023 Assembly election defeat. Speaking about the 2020 crisis that erupted when Pilot was seen as a potential successor to him as chief minister, Gehlot said the Congress leader should “forgive and forget" the past. He also maintained that the rebellion by Congress MLAs at the time was not directed against the party high command but against the prospect of Pilot taking charge of the government. “I want to tell Pilot sahab that he should accept the truth. Humans make mistakes, and I can make them too. If he made a mistake, he should admit it. As soon as I left the hotel in Jaisalmer (in 2020), when it was decided they (the Pilot-led rebels) were returning, I spoke to you (media) and said, ‘Forget and forgive.’ If Sachin Pilot had understood my feelings that day, he too would have forgotten and forgiven. I didn’t say that it wasn’t my fault and that it was his. I said, ‘Forget and forgive,’ meaning forget and forgive the mistakes we made between us. Now, if he didn’t understand that, what’s my fault," Gehlot said on Sunday. The remarks have triggered sharp reactions from the BJP, which has accused Gehlot of political insecurity and claimed his comments reflect anxiety over Pilot’s possible rise within the Congress organisation.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, “Ashok Gehlot is struggling to keep himself relevant. He tries to portray himself as a Gandhian, but we all know how he conducts himself politically. Additionally, he has said that they should politically lengthen the line, but Rajasthan’s history bears witness, the history of the Rajasthan Congress Party also bears witness, that every worker who has ever tried to lengthen their line even a little has been attempted to be erased by him." “I think the Congress Party is considering giving Sachin Pilot some new responsibility, that’s why this restlessness. Ashok Gehlot himself is scared because he is moving away from power, so out of fear, he keeps making such comment," Shekhawat added. The Rajasthan Battle That Began In 2018 The roots of the Gehlot-Pilot rivalry go back to the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly election. Pilot, then Rajasthan Congress president, was widely credited with rebuilding the party after its crushing defeat in 2013 and leading it back to power. But when it came to choosing the chief minister, the Congress leadership opted for veteran leader Ashok Gehlot over the younger Pilot. Pilot was made deputy chief minister and state Congress chief, but the arrangement never fully settled the leadership question. What followed was a prolonged struggle between the party’s old guard and its younger leadership. Gehlot remained firmly in control of the government and most Congress MLAs, while Pilot continued to enjoy support among younger leaders and party workers. The 2020 Revolt That Changed Everything The relationship reached breaking point in 2020 when Pilot and a group of loyalist MLAs camped in Manesar, Haryana, in what Gehlot described as an attempt to bring down the Congress government. Pilot denied working against the party, but the episode permanently altered his relationship with Gehlot. The then chief minister repeatedly accused his former deputy of rebellion and questioned whether someone who had challenged the government could later lead it. Although the Congress high command eventually brokered a truce, mistrust between the two camps never disappeared.
The 2022 Crisis: When Congress Came Close To Implosion The feud exploded again in September 2022. At the time, Gehlot was being considered for the post of Congress president. If he had moved to Delhi, Pilot was widely seen as the frontrunner to become Rajasthan chief minister. Instead, a dramatic revolt broke out among Congress MLAs loyal to Gehlot. The legislators refused to attend a meeting called by the party leadership and signalled their opposition to Pilot taking charge. Revisiting the episode this week, Gehlot argued that the revolt was never directed against the Congress leadership. According to him, the MLAs opposed only the possibility of Pilot becoming chief minister after the 2020 rebellion. He said the events were later portrayed as a revolt against the high command when, in reality, legislators were objecting to Pilot’s elevation. Gehlot also said he still retained affection for Pilot and suggested that the Congress leader should “forgive and forget" past events, adding that mistakes can happen in politics. Why Is The Issue Back Now? The latest round of comments comes amid renewed chatter about leadership changes within the Rajasthan Congress. Gehlot’s absence from a recent Congress training camp in Pushkar sparked speculation about differences within the state unit. At the same time, political observers have noted growing discussion about whether Pilot could be given a larger organisational responsibility in Rajasthan in the coming years. That backdrop has led many to view Gehlot’s remarks as more than a reflection on the past. They are also being seen as an attempt to shape the debate over the future leadership of Rajasthan Congress. BJP Sees Political Anxiety The BJP has seized on the renewed tensions. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accused Gehlot of struggling to remain politically relevant and claimed that every Congress leader who tried to build an independent political base in Rajasthan eventually found themselves sidelined by the former chief minister. Shekhawat further suggested that Congress may be considering a new role for Pilot, arguing that Gehlot’s recent remarks reflect anxiety about losing political influence as he moves further away from power.
The BJP has long argued that Congress’s internal divisions helped weaken the party in Rajasthan and continues to portray the Gehlot-Pilot rivalry as evidence of deeper organisational problems. A Feud That Refuses To End Over the years, there have been repeated attempts at reconciliation. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge famously urged leaders to “forgive and forget", and Pilot publicly said he was willing to move forward in the interest of the party. There have also been symbolic gestures of unity, including meetings between the two leaders after Congress’s defeat in the 2023 Assembly election. Yet every few months, the rivalry returns to the centre of Rajasthan politics. For Congress, that may be the real challenge. The Gehlot-Pilot conflict is no longer just about who becomes chief minister. It has become a story about succession, generational change and the party’s struggle to balance experienced regional satraps with ambitious younger leaders. And six years after Congress returned to power in Rajasthan, the question remains unresolved: can the party truly move beyond the Gehlot-Pilot era, or will its most enduring political feud continue to define its future? News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Pragati Ratti Pragati is a News Editor at news18.com. Having headed the Business and Viral sections, Pragati now ideates, writes and edits long-form features and articles on national and global affairs. She ensures... Read More First Published: June 08, 2026, 14:24 IST News explainers Gehlot Vs Pilot Rivalry Returns: Inside Congress's Never-Ending Rajasthan Power Struggle Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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