There is a proverb in Hindi, “Hing lage na fitkari, rang chokha ka chokha” (maximum gain without much effort) that fits the Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, who escaped the plan of getting displaced from the state office for the post of the national president of the grand old party, the Indian National Congress. Gehlot wanted both, but as things have turned up, he wanted the CM’s post even more than being a ceremonial head because the intra-party election would not have changed the status of a non-Gandhi office-bearer. The Rajasthan MLAs’ unexpected refusal to attend a legislative party’s meeting wasn’t possible without their leader Gehlot’s tacit nod. They wanted a seasoned leader with mass support in the lead instead of Sachin Pilot who had attempted a failed coup in collaboration with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Post rebellion, considered an anti-party activity, Gehlot simply apologised to the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi, saying that she still held the right to decide the Rajasthan government set-up. He has returned to the state only to begin an advertising blitzkrieg in the national/state media on a daily basis. For the time being—say till the next state Assembly elections, Gehlot has secured his place. He has achieved what he wouldn’t have if he were the party president instead of the CM. In the future, any untoward step on part of the high command should result in a bigger loss, helping the BJP to wrest power much easily in Rajasthan, one among a very few states now left with the INC. The Gehlot Gang seems to be prepared to stonewall any missile expected to be launched by the Delhi bosses, the Gandhis and their remote-controlled president, most likely Mallikarjun Kharge, who is pitted against Shashi Tharoor, who has proclaimed himself as a harbinger of change against continuity (of the Congress routine).