JAIPUR: Amid the ongoing tussle over the post of Chief Minister in Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot once again targeted Sachin Pilot without naming him on Sunday. CM Gehlot said it is unusual that MLAs get agitated over a new CM name as normally 80 per cent of MLAs generally switch sides when a new CM comes.
“I was in Jaisalmer. I could not guess but the MLAs sensed who was going to be the new chief minister and they reacted strongly,” Gehlot said without naming Sachin Pilot. In explaining the revolt by the MLAs last Sunday that put him out of the race for the Congress president post, he skipped mentioning the name of Sachin Pilot who was tipped to succeed him in case he had resigned as the CM to contest for the Congress president election.
After the revolt in Rajasthan a week ago and being out of the Congress president race, Ashok Gehlot spoke to the media on Gandhi Jayanti and said, “I had already conveyed to madam (Sonia Gandhi) and Ajay Maken in August that it is not necessary that I should be the Chief Minister. I told them that I am ready to resign as CM. I said I will support and campaign because it should be our aim to revive the Congress party."
Despite his apology to Sonia Gandhi, CM Gehlot also asserted that “I will not leave the side of those 102 MLAs who helped in saving the government during the crisis two years ago.” He said that if he had become the National President of Congress, it would have been unfair to 102 MLAs, so “I cannot go anywhere by cheating. That's why I agreed to apologize to the party high command.”
CM Gehlot has also raised questions about the leaders who came as observers. Without naming Ajay Maken, Gehlot said that “Observer is a very big post, he comes as a representative of high command. So observers should also work according to the dignity and aura of high command.”
CM Gehlot also said, “When a one-line resolution has to be passed by calling a meeting of the legislature party, the observers will come. Observers come only on the basis of the Congress president and we treat them in the same manner. The observer should also work according to the thinking and behaviour of the Congress president.” But added, “Rajasthan's case has been different. This will be written in history. Why this happened, what were the reasons, it should be researched. I was on a tour, so I didn't know. Such a situation came, all our leaders should think what happened?”
Gehlot said that BJP is again trying to topple the government in Rajasthan. Referring to the political crisis caused by the rebellion of 19 MLAs including former Deputy CM Pilot in 2020, CM Gehlot said, “at that time some of our MLAs had a meeting with Amit Shah and ate sweets from his hands. In that meeting, BJP leaders Dharmendra Pradhan and Zafar Islam were also present. There was a long conversation between them, the government was also in trouble and we had to keep MLAs barricaded in hotels. It lasted for weeks and then the government was saved."
CM Gehlot attacked the BJP over horse-trading. Alleging that to topple his government, offers of 10-10 crores were made to the MLAs Gehlot said that after Governor Kalraj Mishra fixed the date for convening the assembly session, 30 to 40 crores were offered to the MLAs to switch sides but our MLAs saved the government.
CM Gehlot said that it is necessary for Congress to win the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan as they have a special significance for the party across the country. Given Gehlot’s mood, it seems that despite his apology to Sonia Gandhi and his statement that the legislature party meeting will be held again and a one-line resolution will be passed, the Congress crisis in Rajasthan remains quite grave.