Ashok Gehlot confident of continuing as Rajasthan CM

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 2

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who chose his current position over a central role in the AICC by opting out of the Congress president’s race earlier this week, on Sunday exuded confidence of staying the CM by seeking public comments for the upcoming Rajasthan Budget.

Aide’s remark raises brows

A video of Ashok Gehlot’s adviser and independent MLA Sanyam Lodha went viral on Sunday, as he reportedly said: “I hope that if the government continues, we will start the work on the project in January.” He was speaking at a Gandhi Jayanti event in Rajasthan’s Sirohi city.

Advertisements on “Invest Rajasthan”, a state government event scheduled for October 7 and 8, splashed across the front pages of most national dailies, gave the indication that Gehlot was not worried that he might be replaced with rival Sachin Pilot after AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said on September 29 that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi would take a call on the CM issue in a day or two.

A few days have passed since Venugopal’s statement, with Gehlot today attacking Pilot in a veiled manner when he said, “It is important to understand why there is so much resentment among Rajasthan Congress MLAs. They were agitated when they heard the name of the proposed new CM (read Pilot).”

Gehlot, in a dig at AICC observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken, who had come to convene the party legislature meeting which could not be held on on September 25 as most of the MLAs abstained, said, “Observers should reflect the true situation to the party high command.”

On his apology to Sonia Gandhi for the cancelled CLP meet which was to pass a resolution authorising the party chief to decide on the CM issue, Gehlot said he apologised because he could not betray 102 MLAs who had saved the Congress government in 2020 while some of the party lawmakers (read Pilot supporters) were meeting the top BJP brass.

More than 90 Congress MLAs had refused to attend the official CLP meeting in Jaipur, fearing the installation of Pilot in Gehlot’s place.

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