Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has once again ignited a political firestorm by revisiting the events surrounding the Congress national presidential election from 4 years ago. This issue, which many thought had been settled with Mallikarjun Kharge's appointment as the party's national president, has been brought back into the spotlight by Gehlot's recent remarks in Jaipur. The veteran leader clarified that if Sonia Gandhi and the Congress leadership had wanted him to take the helm as the national president, he would have never refused the responsibility. However, he coupled this clarification with a serious allegation, describing the entire episode as a well-planned conspiracy against him.
The Allegation of a Large Scale Conspiracy
During his statement, Ashok Gehlot reflected on the internal friction within the party during that period. He posed a rhetorical question to his audience, asking if he would have ever said no if the Congress and Sonia Gandhi had decided to make him the president. " Gehlot stated. He went on to describe the events of 2022 as a "big conspiracy," pointing out that observers were sent to Rajasthan quite suddenly. According to Gehlot, this sudden arrival led to a "spectacle" that ultimately resulted in his defamation. He expressed regret that the public perception now suggests he orchestrated a revolt simply to retain his position as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
Reaction from the BJP and Jogaram Patel
The remarks made by the former Chief Minister didn't go unnoticed by the current administration. Rajasthan Government Minister Jogaram Patel reacted strongly to Gehlot's statements. Patel suggested that Gehlot has a habit of repeating the "hotel stay" story whenever there is a possibility or discussion regarding Sachin Pilot being elevated to a prestigious position. Patel further criticized Gehlot for his direct allegations against Sachin Pilot, where Gehlot had previously accused Pilot of attempting to break the party in collaboration with the BJP. Patel questioned why, if such an incident had truly occurred during Gehlot's tenure as Chief Minister, no formal case was ever registered. He claimed that Gehlot has been sidelined within his own party and is now prone to making baseless statements.
The 2022 Political Crisis in Rajasthan
To understand the gravity of Gehlot's recent comments, one must look back at the political crisis that gripped Rajasthan in September 2022. At that time, the Congress high command intended for Ashok Gehlot to contest the national presidential election. However, this move required Gehlot to step down from his post as Chief Minister, following the party's "one man, one post" principle. It was widely speculated that if Gehlot moved to the national role, the Chief Minister's chair would be handed over to Sachin Pilot. This transition was something Gehlot and his loyalists were reportedly not ready to accept.
The Revolt of the Loyalists
The crisis reached its peak in September 2022 when the Congress leadership called for a Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting in Jaipur to decide on the new Chief Minister. In a surprising move, MLAs loyal to Ashok Gehlot boycotted the official meeting. While the central observers sent by the high command waited for the meeting to begin, more than 90 MLAs gathered at the residence of Shanti Dhariwal. From there, the group proceeded to the residence of the then Speaker CP Joshi and submitted their resignations. The rebelling MLAs demanded that the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan must be someone of Ashok Gehlot's choosing, effectively blocking Sachin Pilot's path to the office.
Aftermath and Kharge's Appointment
This open defiance by the Rajasthan MLAs deeply angered the central leadership of the Congress party. In the wake of the controversy, Ashok Gehlot traveled to Delhi to meet with Sonia Gandhi, while during this meeting, he expressed his regret over the incident and took full moral responsibility for the actions of the MLAs. Consequently, Gehlot withdrew himself from the race for the Congress presidency, while this paved the way for Mallikarjun Kharge to enter the fray and eventually become the national president of the party. Gehlot's recent comments suggest that the wounds from that period have not yet fully healed and that he views the sequence of events as a calculated move to undermine him.