Rahul Gandhi praises unity between Rajasthan Congress chief and CLP leader

In this picture released on June 1, 2026, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi is welcomed by party leader Ashok Gehlot upon his arrival at Kishangarh Airport in Rajasthan. Photo: @INCIndia/X via PTI Photo

Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader holding hands can be a good example for other states, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in Rajasthan while conveying a message to other states.

He made these remarks on Monday (June 1, 2026) in Pushkar, where he had gone to attend the final day of a 10-day training camp for district presidents conducted by Sangathan Srijana Abhigyan.

While receiving Mr. Gandhi at the airport, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasara and CLP Tika Ram Jully jointly offered him a bouquet, prompting him to make a remark. “A very good example for all other states,” he said.

His remarks are significant against the backdrop of the intense rivalry between former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot a few years ago.

The comment is not only an acknowledgment of the factional disputes in the party, but also expresses a sense of urgency to settle them after the leadership transition in Karnataka.

On June 4 and 5, Mr Gandhi will visit Uttarakhand, a state the Congress is trying to wrest back from the BJP in next year’s assembly elections. Before that, however, the high command must ensure that all top leaders are on the same page. And like in other states, former chief minister Harish Rawat, CLP Pritam Singh and PCC chief Ganesh Godiyal are in the fray.

The situation is worse in Punjab, another state due for Assembly elections next year, as internal rivalries are spilling into the open. A three-way contest has emerged between Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa, State Congress chief Amrinder Raja Warring and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

Published – 02 Jun 2026 22:03 IST