Politics in India has always been an unpredictable playground with last-minute developments changing contours completely. The culmination of the month-long drama in Rajasthan is yet another corroboration to this unwritten yet totally accepted reality. It has been taken to be almost certain that the desert state will join the ‘fates’ of Madhya Pradesh and its predecessors and one more democratically elected state government will fall like a house of cards by some ‘extra-democratic means’. Sachin Pilot’s homecoming, apparently, has shunted out such possibility. But, there is no way but to use the phrase ‘as of now’ even after this reconciliation, since the BJP, in a late twist to the drama on Thursday, made their intention clear that they are in no mood to ‘throw the towel’ so soon and their no-confidence motion against the Ashok Gehlot government is in the offing in the special assembly session starting Friday.

Going strictly by facts, the causes that contributed to the still-alive political chaos in Rajasthan has been the clash of two heavyweights – CM Gehlot and DCM Pilot. Differences of opinions are nothing outlandish in intra-party political culture of the country and this time, like various recent precedences still fresh in memories, there was an attempt to make use of them for changing the colours of the Rajasthan government, which has been largely viewed as a total disregard of all established democratic proprieties. The revolt led by Pilot and the claim of 18 Congress MLAs on his side underwent ups and downs over the last one month, the curtains of which finally fell on Monday. The air of doubt which persisted even on the following two days was removed on Thursday morning when the hitherto ‘hostile’ duo publicly shook hands. Even if it’s ‘lake placid’ apparently, it will still be premature to conclude that the drama is all over as the final hurdle i.e. the no-confidence motion might well turn out to be yet another pinnacle of climax. Nevertheless, the episode will serve as a great eye-opener for the grand old party of the nation that internal differences should not be allowed to escalate to the point where situations get uncontrollable, making it a joy ride for ‘poachers’. The party’s central leadership must take note of it and do the needful not on an ad hoc basis but with a long-term vision. It will matter little which political personality’s ‘weight’ in Rajasthan will undergo alteration after all these thrilling developments. Above all others what matters most is that the government there which enjoys people’s verdict must complete a full 5-year term.

Congress, meanwhile, must have learnt the same lesson for one more time- any feud within the party must be mended internally and ‘treatment’ should never be delayed.