Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot Bury The Hatchet? Two Congress Leaders Meet After Years Of Rift

Last Updated:June 08, 2025, 09:47 IST

Sachin Pilot called on Ashok Gehlot to invite him to a family event, triggering speculations about a possible reconciliation between the two leaders.

Sachin Pilot meets Ashok Gehlot (Photo: X/ Sachin Pilot)

Raising speculations about a possible reconciliation, Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot met former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot in Jaipur on Saturday.

Pilot called on Gehlot to invite him to the tribute ceremony for his father and former union minister Rajesh Pilot, scheduled for June 11 in Dausa. However, none of the two leaders directly and publicly opened up about their speculated patchup. Pilot’s father had passed away in a road accident in June 2000.

Pilot-Gehlot Reconciliation On Cards?

The duo had engaged in a political feud over the state Congress leadership, which led to a massive crisis in 2020. This meeting was the first one in years, triggering speculations of a likely reconciliation.

“AICC General Secretary Shri @SachinPilot invited me to a program organised on the 25th death anniversary of former union minister Rajesh Pilot at his residence. Rajesh Pilot ji and I entered the Lok Sabha together for the first time in 1980 and remained Members of Parliament together for nearly 18 years. The sorrow of his untimely demise still lingers with us. His passing was also a great loss to the party," Gehlot posted on X, where he also shared the video of the meeting, in which it was all smiles around.

Pilot, too, shared a photo of their meeting and said, “Met former Chief Minister @ashokgehlot51 ji today. Invited him to attend the tribute ceremony in Dausa on June 11 to mark the 25th death anniversary of my father, Late Shri Rajesh Pilot ji."

Pilot-Gehlot Rift

The differences between the two leaders stem from Congress’s Assembly poll victory in 2018, in which then state party chief, Sachin Pilot, was largely given the credit for the results in the elections. However, the Chief Ministerial post went to Ashok Gehlot for a third time, and Pilot was made his deputy.

In July 2020, Pilot led a rebellion against Gehlot, the CM of his own party, along with 18 loyal MLAs, as he accused the senior Congress leader of ignoring young leaders and not respecting his role as the head of the state Congress party.

Gehlot responded to Pilot’s accusations with a “nikamma" and “nakara" (useless and incompetent) charge, accusing him of siding with the rival BJP to topple his government.

As a result, Pilot was stripped of his Deputy CM role and PCC chief. Attempts were made by top Congress leadership, including Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, to mediate between the two, however, it remained inconsequential. Congress was later voted out of power in 2023.

News politics Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot Bury The Hatchet? Two Congress Leaders Meet After Years Of Rift