JAIPUR, India — As the once-formidable Indian National Congress party began to crumble in recent years, Sachin Pilot, a young, well-connected politician, stepped up to help his bloc weather one crisis after another. Mr. Pilot’s parents were Congress stalwarts and served in elite government positions. He is close with members of the Gandhi family, who have controlled the party for decades, dominating India’s electorate until Prime Minister Narendra Modi first swept into office six years ago on a wave of Hindu nationalism. Many thought Mr. Pilot, 42, who represented Congress as deputy chief minister in the northern state of Rajasthan, had the perfect résumé to lead the party to a rebirth. Instead, India’s political establishment has been jolted by accusations this month that Mr. Pilot was secretly working on behalf of Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, possibly in an effort to depose a chief minister he had fallen out with. Mr. Pilot has denied those accusations.
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