In a veiled attack on his former deputy Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said that why many legislators in the state got agitated over the name of a new CM last week should be a matter of research.
On September 25, over 90 MLAs submitted their resignation to the assembly speaker, opposing the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting called to determine Gehlot’s successor as he was the front-runner for the post of the Congress president. Later, after meeting Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, Gehlot announced that he would not contest the Congress presidential elections, taking moral responsibility for the political crisis in the state.
But on Sunday, Gehlot said that usually when a new chief minister is to be appointed, between “80 to 90 percent” of MLA’s switch sides. “But this did not happen in Rajasthan. Normally, they turn to the new candidate. I too don’t consider it wrong. But it was a new case in Rajasthan where the MLAs got agitated just in the name of the new chief minister,” he said without naming Pilot.
Addressing newspersons at the state secretariat after paying tributes to Mahamtma Gandhi on Gandhi Jayanti, Gehlot said, “I was in Jaisalmer. I could not guess, but the MLAs sensed who was going to be the new chief minister. All our leaders should research why there was resentment? If there are shortcomings then it should be worked out,”
On any change on CM post, Gehlot reiterated that it is for the party high command to decide. “I am doing my work and if a decision has to be taken, it is for the party high command to take,” he said.
The chief minister on Saturday asked the people to send suggestions about the next budget directly to him, hinting that he was there to stay. He also declared that he cannot remain away from the people of Rajasthan “till his last breath” and that the Congress government will complete its five years.
The veteran leader said his objective is to bring the Congress government back to power in Rajasthan after the next polls, which is important for the revival of the party at the national level. “I had already conveyed to madam (Sonia Gandhi) and Ajay Maken (Congress general secretary in charge of Rajasthan) in August that it is not necessary that I should be the chief minister. I told them that I am ready to withdraw as CM. I said I will support and campaign because it should be our aim to revive the Congress party,” he said.
He asserted that he cannot ditch the 102 MLAs who had saved his government during the political crisis in July 2020 and, therefore, he apologised to Sonia Gandhi.
Hitting at the MLAs who had revolted against him in 2020, Gehlot said they were ‘hand-in-glove with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “Some of our MLAs met (Union home minister) Amit Shah, (Union education minister) Dharmendra Pradhan and other leaders. Amit Shah was offering sweets to our MLAs. So, how can I forget those 102 MLAs who saved the Congress government,” Gehlot said without naming the Congress MLAs.
“How can I forget the promise made to them (102 MLAs) that I am their guardian. Even if 2-4 of them comment against me, how can I forget their favour as they saved my government…thereafter many equations changed and misunderstandings happened. The MLAs were offered ₹10 crore to come out of the hotel (during the political crisis in 2020) and when the governor fixed the date to call assembly then 10-20-30-40-50 (crore) anything was offered. Those who are playing such a game of horse trading are killing democracy,” he added.
Taking a dig at the central observers, he said, “The observer is a big post, and anyone acting as an observer should act on behalf of the party high command and should reflect their aura. Observers come on behalf of the party high command. Why such circumstances were developed here, research should be done here,” he said, referring to the rebellion by the MLAs.
On September 25, before the Congress Legislature Party, Gehlot’s loyalist MLAs held a parallel meeting at the residence of parliamentary affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal opposing any move to make Sachin Pilot the new chief minister after Gehlot files nomination for the Congress presidential elections.
Their demand was to choose someone from the 102 MLAs who supported Gehlot during the political crisis in July 2020 as the new chief minister. Ajay Maken and leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were sent by the party high command as observers to Rajasthan to hold the CLP meeting.
There was no immediate reaction from Sachin Pilot on Gehlot’s comment. After meeting Sonia Gandhi on September 29, he said, “I met Congress president today. She listened to me calmly. We held a detailed discussion on whatever happened in Jaipur, Rajasthan. I told her my sentiments, my feedback. All of us want to win the 2023 polls (in Rajasthan) by working hard. We’ll have to work together,”
Commenting on the development, deputy leader of Opposition, Rajendra Rathore tweeted, “The messengers sent by the high command have been informed by Mukhiya ji (the chief minister) about their position and their way of working. The courage of the chief minister, who gave a direct challenge to the high command by placing a gun on the shoulder of the observer, is indeed commendable.”
“The chief minister, who has become Mia Mittu (self-praising), is glorifying the exploits of himself and his colleagues by justifying them. But at the same time he must also answer why he apologised to Sonia Gandhi while demonstrating his incompetence as chief minister?,” he said.
