Jaipur, June 18: After the recent verbal wars between former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and senior leader Sachin Pilot, the Congress in Rajasthan is once again showcasing its “united colours.” During the recent visit of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in Kota, a series of viral photographs from Kota featuring Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Shanti Dhariwal and Prahlad Gunjal in single frame has triggered fresh chatter about reconciliation, sending a positive message to party workers and sparking debate over whether old political fault lines are finally beginning to fade.
Political signalling is usually done without a single word being spoken, and Congress leaders are busy reading plenty into a set of photographs that emerged from Kota this week. Just days after fresh discussions around the long-running Gehlot-Pilot rivalry, the two veteran Congress leaders were seen sharing smiles and laughter on stage during a public event in Kota.
The images quickly went viral, triggering speculation about the state of relations between the two leaders whose political differences have defined Rajasthan Congress politics for years. Adding to the symbolism was the presence of Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, who appeared alongside the duo as the leaders exchanged light-hearted remarks during the programme.
While neither Gehlot nor Pilot made any political statement about their relationship, the photographs have become a talking point within Congress circles. For party workers accustomed to seeing the two leaders at opposite ends of internal power struggles, the images offered a rare visual of camaraderie.
But the Gehlot-Pilot frame was not the only photograph generating a buzz. Another image from the Kota visit showed Gehlot flanked by Kota strongman and MLA Shanti Dhariwal on one side and former BJP-turned-Congress leader Prahlad Gunjal on the other.
The picture attracted attention because Dhariwal and Gunjal have long been regarded as political rivals in Kota’s local political landscape. The image has since been widely shared by Congress workers, many portraying it as evidence of growing unity within a party that has often battled factionalism.
Some leaders see it as a deliberate attempt to project organisational cohesion ahead of future political challenges, while others caution against reading too much into a few cordial moments. Yet in Rajasthan politics, symbolism matters. A smile between Gehlot and Pilot, a shared frame featuring Dhariwal and Gunjal, and a stage managed without visible tensions have together fuelled a fresh round of speculation: Is the Congress merely displaying public courtesy, or are old fault lines gradually being bridged? For now, the photographs are doing what political photographs often do best, speaking louder than words.
IANS
