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Within the state, Sachin Pilot is one of the most recognized mass leaders of the Congress, especially among young voters, Gujjars and sections of rural Rajasthan.
Sachin Pilot in Dhariyavad. (Image: X/SachinPilot)
Even though there is still more than two years left for the next Rajasthan Assembly elections, Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s two-day visit to the Mewar-Wagad tribal region has started a new political discussion.
In two days, Pilot traveled to Banswara, Dungarpur, Salumber and Udaipur, met Congress workers, participated in tribal community programs, visited the iconic Tripura Sundari Temple, paid tribute at the memorial event of late Harting Kharia, husband of Congress MLA Ramila Kharia, and addressed several public functions. By wearing traditional tribal attire during several events, Pilot tried to convey a message of cultural connect with one of the most politically important regions of Rajasthan.
The visit comes at a time when the Congress is attempting to rebuild its organization in Rajasthan after losing power in 2023, and also faces a growing challenge from the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) and an aggressive BJP campaign in its traditional tribal strongholds. Political observers have linked this outreach to Congress’s early preparations for the 2028 assembly elections, although the party has not officially described it as an election campaign.
The big question now being asked is whether Pilot has emerged as the most prominent face of the Congress in Rajasthan, and whether the party is quietly grooming him to lead its next election battle.
Why does the Tribal Belt matter?
The Mewar-Wagad region has historically been one of the strongest support bases of the Congress. However, the political landscape has changed rapidly over the years.
The emergence of Bharat Adivasi Party has changed the electoral equation in southern Rajasthan, especially in the tribal-dominated districts of Banswara and Dungarpur, where the party has gained considerable support among tribal voters. At the same time, BJP has intensified its efforts to expand its presence in this area.
The Banswara-Dungarpur belt alone comprises nine assembly constituencies*, making it a strategically important region in any state-wide electoral count. Pilot’s outreach is therefore being seen as an attempt to reconnect the Congress with the voter base that has traditionally supported the party but has shown signs of fragmentation.
During the tour, Pilot also attacked the BJP over alleged irregularities in the Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust and accused the Rajasthan government of delaying the student union, panchayat and urban local body elections. On the possibility of alliance with Bharat Adivasi Party, he said such decisions will be taken by the Congress leadership.
More than a regional leader
Pilot is no longer just a politician from Rajasthan. He currently serves as the National General Secretary of the Congress, has been one of the party’s key campaigners in several state elections and is frequently deployed on organizational tasks by the central leadership. Despite his national responsibilities, Rajasthan is considered his major political base.
Within the state, he is one of the most recognized mass leaders of the Congress, especially among young voters, Gujjars and sections of rural Rajasthan. His public meetings continue to attract huge crowds and despite years of internal turmoil he has maintained a loyal organizational network.
His latest visit also appeared to be carefully crafted to demonstrate organizational unity. During the programs in Kushalgarh, senior Congress leaders including Arjun Singh Bamania, Mahendrajit Singh Malviya, Nanalal Ninama, Raghuveer Meena, Tarachand Bhagora and Anita Jatav shared the stage with him. The joint appearance was widely seen as a message that the party intended to present a united front in the tribal region.
The long shadow of Gehlot-Pilot rivalry
Any discussion about Pilot’s future in Rajasthan inevitably brings up his long-standing political rivalry with former chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
The power struggle dates back to 2018, when Congress returned to power by defeating BJP. Pilot, who served as Rajasthan Congress president and was credited with rebuilding the organization after the party’s crushing defeat in 2013, was considered one of the contenders for the chief ministerial post. However, the Congress high command chose the more experienced Ashok Gehlot as chief minister, while Pilot became the deputy chief minister.
Relations between the two leaders deteriorated over the next two years and reached breaking point in 2020, when Pilot along with several MLAs rebelled against the Gehlot government, leading to the biggest political crisis in Rajasthan. After the rebellion, Pilot was removed from the post of Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress Committee chief, although he remained in the Congress after the intervention of the party leadership.
The rivalry continued in various forms over the following years. Gehlot publicly criticized Pilot on several occasions, calling him “useless” and “worthless”, while Pilot repeatedly raised issues such as alleged corruption during the previous BJP government, causing further friction within the state unit. Prolonged factionalism became one of the defining characteristics of Rajasthan Congress politics.
Has the equation changed?
However, the public rhetoric has softened considerably in recent months.
In June 2025, Pilot personally visited Gehlot’s residence to invite him to an event organized to commemorate the 25th death anniversary of his father, former Union Minister Rajesh Pilot. The meeting, which lasted more than an hour, was seen by political observers as a possible sign of easing tensions between the two leaders after years of confrontation. Speaking later, the pilot described the earlier bitterness by saying “The night is gone, the thing is gone”, indicating his desire to move on.
Although differences within the Rajasthan Congress have not completely ended, the leadership has stressed on organizational unity after the party’s electoral setback.
Is Pilot now the key face of Congress for 2028?
The Congress has not announced the chief ministerial face for the next assembly elections, nor has it officially projected Pilot as its leader in Rajasthan. However, several developments have fueled that perception.
Pilot remains one of the party’s most prominent leaders in the state, has direct access to the national leadership, has been entrusted with major organizational responsibilities at the national level, and continues to run politically important outreach programs in Rajasthan. His latest tribal visit also comes at a time when the Congress is trying to regain its hold in areas where it faces increasing competition.
Pilot’s rising prominence also fits into a broader pattern emerging within the Congress. In Kerala, following the UDF’s victory in the 2026 assembly elections, the party chose VD Satheesan as chief minister over other senior contenders, a sign of giving due credit to the leader who was seen as leading the Congress’ comeback in the state. In Karnataka too, there has been talk about a leadership change from Siddaramaiah to DK Shivakumar as well as a younger, leaner leadership model within the party and giving more space to the new generation of leaders.
In that backdrop, from leading organizational outreach to being handed politically important assignments, Pilot’s continued visibility in Rajasthan has further strengthened the impression that the Congress high command is increasingly willing to support leaders who can take the party into the next election cycle.
The Congress has not officially announced the chief ministerial face for the next Rajasthan Assembly elections, nor has it officially projected Sachin Pilot as its leader in Rajasthan.
About the author
Pragati is news editor at news18.com. After heading the Business and Viral sections, Pragati now conceptualises, writes and edits long-form features and articles on national and global affairs. She makes sure…read more
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