Congress
leaders interpreted the resignations of Jyotiraditya Scindia and Milind Deora
from their respective party posts as an effort to put pressure on the older guard of the party to not just follow the example of outgoing party chief Rahul Gandhi
and quit, but also make space for them as the chiefs of their respective state units.
Scindia, Deora, and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Sachin Pilot
are close to outgoing Congress
president Rahul and party general secretary (in-charge of Uttar Pradesh) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Scindia, who quit as party general secretary in charge of UP, is keen that he leads the party in Madhya Pradesh, where the Kamal Nath-led Congress
currently has a government with a wafer-thin majority.
Deora, who quit as the Mumbai unit chief, hopes to head the Maharashtra state unit. The state is due for Assembly polls in October. Ashok Chavan quit as the party chief after Congress’ abysmal performance in the state and the party has not filled the vacancy yet.
Pilot has not reacted publicly but hopes to be the CM of Rajasthan. As the state unit chief in the past five years, Pilot rebuilt the party in Rajasthan but Ashok Gehlot beat him to the post of the chief minister when the party won in the Assembly polls in the state in December.
Pilot’s supporters hope senior leaders would see reason in transferring Gehlot to the centre as party chief, while the younger leader takes over as Rajasthan CM. The front-runner to the post of Congress chief is Mallikarjun Kharge.