Ashok Gehlot may pick CM post over Congress presidency

New Delhi, September 26

The unprecedented crisis in the Rajasthan Congress has raised the question whether Ashok Gehlot will choose chief ministership over the top Congress post with the Gandhis insisting on the ‘one person, one post’ rule.

Leaders close to Gehlot do not rule out the possibility of the 71-year-old opting out of the race with Rajasthan in a flux and the high command appearing in a hurry to replace him.

Videos of state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal questioning the Congress leadership on the haste shown in calling a CLP meeting to replace CM Gehlot have gone viral. “The issue would have arisen only if Gehlot had become party president and was holding two posts,” Dharilwal argued.

After Rahul Gandhi publicly called for the ‘one person, one post’ rule to be honoured, Gehlot made it clear that he was willing to run for the Congress presidency, but not at the cost of the state and that he expected the leadership to consider his opinion in the matter. The Congress, meanwhile, was taken aback by Gehlot’s dramatic power play.

If the Gandhis insist that Gehlot must resign as Rajasthan CM, Gehlot could end up choosing the state over the AICC. In that case, the party would be left with only Shashi Tharoor in the race, unless the Gandhis are able to project another acceptable face. The nominations end on September 30. “The future of Rajasthan and the Congress depends on Sonia Gandhi’s decision,” a Congress veteran observed.

Why the haste?

• Videos of Rajasthan minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal questioning the Congress leadership on the haste shown in calling a CLP meeting to replace CM Gehlot have gone viral
• “The issue would have arisen only if Gehlot had become party president and was holding two posts,” Dharilwal argued
• “The future of Rajasthan and the Congress depends on Sonia Gandhi’s decision,” a Congress veteran observed