By taking a punitive action on rebellious Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan the Congress high command has given a clear message that the party would not tolerate dissidence beyond a point.

 The Rajasthan action can also be viewed as a veiled warning to the top leaders of Uttarakhand Congress who are always at loggerheads with one another. In a swift move Pilot was divested from the post of Deputy Chief Minister (CM) of Rajasthan and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President by the Congress high command on Tuesday.

The action taken at peril of losing Ashok Gehlot led government in Rajasthan shows the determination of the Congress High Command to act against dissidence.

The political observers opine that the warring faction of Uttarakhand Congress should take lessons from the action of party high command on Pilot. Senior journalist and political commentator Jai Singh Rawat said, “The swift action on Pilot and his followers shows that the Congress high command is now not in mood to tolerate indiscipline. The action could result in losing a young and bright leader like Sachin Pilot but it also underlies the resolve of Congress leadership. The leaders of Uttarakhand Congress should understand this message and devise their future strategy accordingly.’’

In Uttarakhand the Congress party which was reduced to only 11 MLAs in an assembly of 70 in the elections of 2017 is a divided house.

The party is clearly divided into camps led by former chief minister and General Secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Harish Rawat, a combined group of leaders owing allegiance to Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Pritam Singh and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Uttarakhand assembly Indira Hridayesh.

 There is a third faction though small which is of the former PCC president Kishore Upadhyaya. At present the leaders of these three factions are seen charting their own course. With the elections of 2022 drawing closer, the infighting between these factions would surely increase.