Pilot's Turbulence
THE WEEK India|April 23, 2023
High command is wary of making any radical changes to leadership so close to elections; Sachin Pilot, though, is growing impatient
Soni Mishra
Pilot's Turbulence

SEATED ON A small stage, occasionally resting his elbows on an old-fashioned wooden half table, Sachin Pilot was a picture of calm. The space in the middle of Shaheed Smarak, a war memorial in Jaipur, was an oasis of quiet; outside it was an excited crowd of supporters who launched into cheers at regular intervals.

This was the “controversial” anshan (fast) that Pilot held against the alleged corruption in the previous Vasundhara Raje government, on April 11. It was the latest episode of the power tussle between Pilot and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, which has become a major headache for the Congress’s central leadership.

Just days earlier, Pilot had held a news conference on the purported inaction of his party’s government against corruption. And now with the fast, it is evident that his real target is Gehlot.

The 45-year-old wants to come across as a crusader against corruption, emphasising the popular perception that Gehlot and Raje have helped each other and are two sides of the same coin.

That Pilot was alone on stage during his fast was intentional. It was to put the focus on him as an individual fighting the system. He wants to be seen as an alternative to Gehlot and Raje as chief ministers. The assembly elections are due in December.

At the protest site, Pilot was being portrayed as the chief minister Rajasthan deserves. Slogans of “Hamara CM kaisa ho, Sachin Pilot jaisa ho (Our chief minister should be like Sachin Pilot)” and “Sachin tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain (Sachin, you keep fighting, we are with you)” were raised.

Denne historien er fra April 23, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra April 23, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE WEEK INDIASe alt
William Dalrymple goes further back
THE WEEK India

William Dalrymple goes further back

Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
The bleat from the street
THE WEEK India

The bleat from the street

What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Courage and conviction
THE WEEK India

Courage and conviction

Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
EPIC ENTERPRISE
THE WEEK India

EPIC ENTERPRISE

Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus

time-read
4 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Upgrade your jeans
THE WEEK India

Upgrade your jeans

If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Garden by the sea
THE WEEK India

Garden by the sea

When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus

time-read
4 mins  |
November 17, 2024
RECRUITERS SPEAK
THE WEEK India

RECRUITERS SPEAK

Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
MORAL COMPASS
THE WEEK India

MORAL COMPASS

The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape

time-read
5 mins  |
November 17, 2024
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
THE WEEK India

B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH

INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
COURSE CORRECTION
THE WEEK India

COURSE CORRECTION

India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI

time-read
8 mins  |
November 17, 2024