Sachin Pilot breaks ice with Ashok Gehlot after 5 years. Courtesy Rajesh Pilot

Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot on Saturday met former Rajasthan Chief Minister and senior party leader Ashok Gehlot in Jaipur, in what is being seen as a significant thaw in their strained political relationship.

The meeting came ahead of a memorial event for Pilot's father and former Union Minister Rajesh Pilot, who died in a road accident 25 years ago.

Pilot personally invited Gehlot to the tribute ceremony scheduled for June 11 in Dausa, Rajesh Pilot's former parliamentary constituency.

This is the first such public interaction between the two leaders in years, following their bitter feud over the Rajasthan Congress leadership that culminated in a political crisis in 2020.

Gehlot later shared a video of the meeting on social media platform X, recalling his long-standing association with Rajesh Pilot. "AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot invited me to the program organised on the 25th death anniversary of former Union minister Rajesh Pilot at his residence," he posted.

"Rajesh Pilot and I entered the Lok Sabha together in 1980 and served as MPs for nearly 18 years. His untimely death remains a personal loss and a setback for the party," he added.

Sachin Pilot also posted a photo of their meeting, stating, "Met former chief minister Ashok Gehlot today. Requested him to attend the tribute ceremony in Dausa on June 11 to mark my father Rajesh Pilot's 25th death anniversary".

Rajesh Pilot died in a car crash in June 2000 in Bhandana village of Dausa district in Rajasthan, around 50 kilometres from Jaipur.

While there has been no formal comment from either side on reconciliation, Saturday’s meeting has triggered speculation within Congress circles about the possibility of a patch-up ahead of key organisational decisions in Rajasthan.

THE PILOT-GEHLOT FEUD

The discord between the two Congressmen traces back to the Congress's victory in the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections. Pilot, then the Rajasthan Congress president, was widely credited for reviving the grand old party's fortunes in the state.

However, the top post of Chief Minister was awarded to veteran leader Ashok Gehlot for a third term, while Pilot had to settle for the deputy Chief Minister position. This sowed early seeds of resentment.

The feud exploded in July 2020, when Pilot — along with 18 loyalist MLAs — rebelled against Gehlot, accusing him of sidelining young leaders and undermining his authority as Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief.

Gehlot, in response, publicly accused Pilot of plotting with the BJP to bring down the Congress government. He branded him 'nikamma' (useless) and 'nakara' (incompetent) — a public dressing-down that widened the rift.

Pilot was soon removed as Deputy Chief Minister and PCC president. Despite high-profile attempts by the central Congress leadership, including Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, to mediate, trust between the two remained broken.