Team News Riveting
New Delhi, September 26
The revolt by 92 Congress MLAs in support of Ashok Gehlot has changed the entire equation in the Congress party that can cost dear to Rajasthan chief minister eyeing to head the grand-old party.
According to Congress insiders, the Gandhis are said to be upset at Ashok Gehlot flexing his MLAs and “humiliating” the party. Gehlot will be filing his nomination papers for the Congress president election due for the October 17. But the political development in Rajasthan has come as a big jolt for the party ahead of otherwise smooth election process that Congress has envisaged.
Amidst a high voltage drama in Rajasthan ahead of change of guard, state Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra on Sunday resigned while 92 legislators loyal to chief minister Ashok Gehlot have offered to quit. The MLAs skipped the meeting with Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge, the party observers who came to elected the new legislature party chief.
Reportedly humiliated by the MLAs for even refusing to talk, Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge headed back to Delhi. The Gehlot loyalists have made it clear, they cannot be taken for granted. The MLAs have put forward three conditions that Makan termed the conditions “conflict of interest”.
The otherwise peaceful process took a drastic twist after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi advocated ‘one man, one post’ policy that necessitated Gehlot to leave Rajasthan chief minister post if elected as next Congress president. Taking note of the indications within the party, Gehlot and his supporters at no cost wish to make Sachin Pilot his successor in Jaipur. They blame Pilot for plotting to topple the Congress government in 2020.
The haste of Congress leadership to “select” Gehlot’s successor further complicated the issue. The “rebel” MLAs said Gehlot had not been elected Congress president and as chief minister, he is holding only one post. “Why then Congress leadership is in hurry?” quizzed one of the MLAs.
The unfolding event has weakened Pilot and also exposed he does not enjoy support of Congress legislators. For, 92 MLAs are firmly standing behind Gehlot while Pilot enjoys support of hardly 20 lawmakers.
A senior Congress leader said the high command poorly handled the Rajasthan issue and underestimated Gehlot, and his group.
Senior leader from Madhya Pradesh and Gandhis’ loyalist Kamal Nath has been summoned to New Delhi. He landed in the national capital and met Sonia Gandhi. What transpired could not be known. Nath is also one of the potential contestants for the Congress chief post and can also be deployed to mediate for defusing the crisis.
