A shadow often falls between loyalty and ambition. Developments in Rajasthan, where a ‘rebellion’ by a sulking, obdurate Sachin Pilot engineered a crisis for the ruling Congress, reflect, once again, a worrying asymmetry in priorities. Mr Pilot’s disaffection is being attributed to a notice he received from the Rajasthan police concerning alleged attempts to destabilize the state government, but the real issue of contention is the chief minister’s chair. Mr Pilot thinks he is entitled to it; the party, which has sacked him as deputy chief minister and state Congress chief, thinks otherwise. Mr Pilot has, subsequently, made conciliatory noises — he has ruled out the possibility of joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. But it remains to be seen whether the script in Rajasthan follows those of Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka where engineered defections in the Congress rank and file led to the toppling of the state governments. What were bared, on every occasion, are deep internecine rifts. These rivalries have undoubtedly been augmented by a rudderless high command. The Congress, astoundingly, has an interim president and its diffidence about taking a decisive call on the leadership issue seems to have had a dispiriting effect on the party organization. Even though the central leadership has put its foot down on this occasion, it has failed — repeatedly — to douse the fires raging within. These flames show that a toxic combination of entitlement and ambition is corroding the ideological moorings of Congress leaders, young and old. Meanwhile, the BJP, the denials notwithstanding, is known for its love for fishing in troubled waters; the defections within the Congress in many states bear the unmistakable imprint of ‘Operation Lotus’. But the BJP should also remember that the assimilation of former Congress leaders could set off rumbles within the party.

Stemming the rot is a moral and political challenge for the Congress. In spite of its diminishing political footprint, the Congress remains the principal opponent of the BJP. This credibility suffers blows with each rebellion or loss of government. The electorate is unlikely to repose its faith in a party that fails to hold its flock together. The Congress’s implosion could lead to a hegemonic political system dominated by a single party that is inimical to India’s democratic set-up. The Congress must get its act together. Both the survival of the party and the idea of India are at stake.