Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is currently perhaps the sole Congress leader who dared to take on the party's Central leadership and got away with it, solely on the basis of his support within the state party. At the age of 72, he is heard baiting his political rival Sachin Pilot with comments on how the top job would not leave him.
In a state known for voting out the incumbent since 1993, the three-time Chief Minister appears completely confident of a second consecutive term, managing to work in tandem with his former deputy whom he once called "traitor".
The Congress veteran is seen as one of the most astute minds in India's political landscape -- so much so that Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat, in an interview with NDTV, expressed a wish to pick up tips about his "magic" over a cuppa. While he couched it in suitable jibes about Mr Gehlot being jobless after the coming election, the tinge of envy was unmistakable.
Part of the reason was that Mr Gehlot has managed to get away with what is unthinkable in the BJP -- defying the party's Central leadership. Ahead of the Congress presidential election in October last year, Mr Gehlot, backed by the Gandhis, launched a bid to hold onto the state's top post too.
In Rajasthan, as his supporters spearheaded a proxy war to block Sachin Pilot, Mr Gehlot withdrew from the election with suitable words of apology. And he managed to stick to the state post without saying a direct no to the Gandhis. The act of rebellion by his followers barely got a slap on the wrist from the Central leadership -- action, though promised, never materialised.
The next month, Mr Gehlot drew praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Ashokji and I have worked together as chief ministers. He was the senior-most in our lot. He is still one of the senior-most chief ministers among those who are sitting on the stage right now," PM Modi had said.
The comments drew a jibe from Sachin Plot, who speculated whether Mr Gehlot would follow former Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad and head for the exit.
"I find the heaps of praises by PM Modi (on CM Gehlot very interesting. PM had similarly praised Ghulam Nabi Azad in Parliament. We saw what happened after that. It was an interesting development... Shouldn't be taken lightly," he had said.
But Mr Gehlot did not leave the Congress. He dug in his heels instead and indicated that he was ready for another term in the top post, goaded the BJP and its state leader Vasundhara Raje Scindia and announced a slew of social welfare measures as part of the party's poll promises that drew much attention.
The Congress has made it clear that however much it supports Sachin Pilot, it is not ready to rock the boat in the run-up to the election.
Said to have been handpicked by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi while doing volunteer work at a refugee camp in eastern India, Mr Gehlot has been one of the few mass leaders in Rajasthan on par with the late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and more recently, Vasundhara Raje.
But his appeal lies beyond his OBC identity.
The soft-spoken Mr Gehlot has an ability to connect with party workers, he is a 24x7 politician, with a disarming style that hides a very sharp mind brilliant at political management.
A four-time MP, Mr Gehlot was first-elected to Parliament in 1980. Since 1999, he has represented the Sardarpura assembly constituency, winning five consecutive terms. He has also served as a Union minister in different stints between 1982 and 1993.