Gehlot's Revolt Exposes Leadership's Weakness

The Congress party's stability depends on whether it is in power or not. This is because it has no unifying ideology other than that of being the party that has been in power for the longest time. It is based on a long chain of patron-client relationships that flows down from the top. Ashok Gehlot's rebellion shows that when the party is out of power for a long stretch, the top leadership can no longer hold on to even its 'loyal' leaders.