Last month, Sachin Pilot was in the news for reasons that are anathema to his party. The Congress leader was protesting against his own party’s government in Rajasthan, led by chief minister Ashok Gehlot, to demand it investigate cases of corruption dating back to Vasundhara Raje’s tenure.

Media and social media was flooded with photos of Pilot’s followers shouting slogans while he himself sat under a picture of Mahatma Gandhi in Jaipur.

Now, we might know why. 

A senior source at IPAC told Newslaundry that Pilot hired their services “sometime ago” and that Pilot will “mostly” launch his own political party in “two to three weeks”. 

IPAC is, of course, the political consultancy firm helmed by Prashant Kishor. It’s worked with a number of political parties over the years and from across the spectrum, including the BJP, DMK, TMC, TRS and AAP. 

“Pilot’s intentions are clear,” the source said, on condition of anonymity. “He has mostly decided that he will float his new endeavour and will stop at nothing to succeed. He plans to tread meticulously. Sachin doesn’t want to put himself in a position where anyone can point fingers at him. The process cannot be abrupt.”

But earlier this week, Pilot met with Gehlot, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and others, after which they announced they would “fight the elections unitedly”. Pilot later said his demands weren’t “empty talk” and he believed the “government will act”. 

Newslaundry asked Pilot whether he was starting his own party. He confirmed he had met IPAC “a couple of times”. 

He then said, “Why would I start a party? I have such a nice party...I just want them to make certain decisions regarding some things that I’ve been requesting for the last year and a half now.”

Was this about his meeting with the Congress top brass? “I’m not giving any press interviews,” Pilot said. “I had a meeting with Mr Kharge and Mr Gandhi and said ‘I’m a resource to you’. So now I’m waiting for them to revert.”

What if his party doesn’t accept his demands? “Let them get in touch with me again,” he said, “and if there is something, I will let you know.”

However, two others connected to IPAC confirmed to Newslaundry that the consultancy is helping Pilot build a party – a former employee of IPAC and a present employee.

One of them said, on condition of anonymity: “There are 100 of us from IPAC currently working with Sachin...We are directed to hire around 1,100 more. We have suggested names for this new party.” This source alleged the party will be announced in June and that Pilot is unlikely to stray too far from the Congress brand for his potential new outfit.

“We would not be hiring so many people if we were not strongly convinced he would [start a new party],” they said.

But why now?

The first source said Pilot “participated in the fast as part of the process. Despite his capabilities, he feels stymied due to a lack of say in the party system.”

Perhaps Pilot has felt stymied before. In 2020, Pilot and a group of MLAs had departed Rajasthan to camp out at a resort in Haryana. Gehlot called him nikamma, worthless, and stripped him of his post as deputy chief minister of Rajasthan.

“If the Congress doesn’t grant him his due,” the source added, “what is the best way forward?”

This isn’t the first time rumours have spread about Pilot potentially launching his own party, but his current tryst with IPAC is notable. Earlier this month, Pilot also launched a “Jan Sangharsh Yatra” – a march against corruption – from Ajmer to Jaipur. IPAC’s Kishor, meanwhile, hasn’t confirmed any formal engagement with Pilot; he’s presently on a Jan Suraaj Yatra in Bihar.

Importantly, the assembly election in Rajasthan is scheduled to take place by December this year. 

“All is set,” the source said. “I am not Sachin Pilot but I know him well enough now. There is no other way.”

Is there a chance Pilot will jump ship to another party instead of starting his own outfit? 

No, the source said. “He is a big enough name to not have to join a second-rung or third-rung party. He’s already tried to fight within the party...The only remaining option is to create his own entity. Once he leaves the Congress party, there will be a huge chunk of Congress which will come with him...It is going to be a split right in between the Congress.”

Pilot’s popularity is one thing. He belongs to the Gujjar community, which is influential in at least 35 assembly segments and 12 parliamentary constituencies in Rajasthan, and was credited with playing a key role in the Congress’s 2018 poll victory.

But can he go it alone?

“It may not be a winning election for him or a chief ministerial one,” the source conceded. “But if he breaks out, he could easily be the leader of the opposition. He has worked hard for five years on the ground and led the Congress to victory in the last election. He knows people and, more importantly, he is 45 and has his whole career ahead of him. You never know with politics.”