How Ashok Gehlot's Remarks Triggered A Crisis In Rajasthan Congress

Even as Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot publicly announced on Sunday that he would like to run for Congress president, MLAs of different camps in Rajasthan stand divided as to who the next chief minister in Rajasthan would be. Gehlot met senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge in Jaipur amid the crisis on Monday.

Gehlot, 71, also hinted that he might quit his post in Rajasthan saying that the "new generation should get a chance".

"I have been doing politics for 50 years. For 40 years, I have been in one or other post, constitutional posts. What more can a person get? It is on my mind that the new generation should get a chance. Everyone should come together to give leadership to the country," Gehlot, who has been a three-time chief minister, said on Sunday before the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting.

Gehlot loyalists skipped the CLP meeting triggering a crisis over who will be the next chief minister of Rajasthan if Gehlot becomes the Congress president.

Here are the latest updates on Rajasthan political crisis:

Why did MLAs miss the CLP meeting?

The Indian Express reported that 92 MLAs on Sunday decided to meet at the residence of cabinet minister Shanti Dhariwal instead of attending the party meeting. At the CLP meeting, they were supposed to pass a resolution that they would follow the party's high command's decision.

The report said that these MLAs went to Dhariwal's house and threatened to resign as a mark of protest against Pilot's name as Gehlot's successor.

The Congress is set to vote for the new party chief on October 17. While Sonia Gandhi holds the post of interim chief, Rahul Gandhi has ruled out that anyone from the Gandhi family will take the post which he quit after the drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The names of Gehlot and senior party leader Shashi Tharoor have been doing rounds for the post. Gehlot will reportedly file his nomination papers for Congress chief polls on September 28.

Why are the Rajasthan MLAs divided?

Ahead of the CLP meeting on Sunday, Gehlot had told the media that it would pass a "one-line resolution" to give rights to Congress president to choose the next Rajasthan chief minister.

"There is a tradition in Congress from the beginning that whenever there's a Legislative party meeting for election or for choosing CM face we pass a one-line resolution to give rights to Congress president. This will happen today as well," he said.

When Gehlot made his remarks on Sunday morning about the younger generation replacing him, it was perceived that it would be Sachin Pilot. Pilot is another prominent face of the Congress and was one of the front runners for the chief minister's post after the 2018 state elections Lok Sabha elections. The 92 MLAs loyal to Gehlot reportedly have demanded that the new chief minister of the state should be from the Gehlot camp.

Rajasthan minister S Garg said while the party members will abide by what the party high command says, it should also consider how the BJP had conspired to "topple the government". "Everyone will accept whatever Congress high-command decides, but they should remember how 2 years ago there was a conspiracy in alliance with BJP to topple state government. They should keep in mind people who think along the lines of party ideology and keep unity," Garg said while referring to Pilot's attempt to rebel against the party which threatened the Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan in 2020.

The upset MLAs threatened a mass resignation which could have been a jolt to the Congress government.

"All the MLAs are angry and are resigning. We are going to the speaker for that. MLAs are upset that how can CM Ashok Gehlot take a decision without consulting them," ANI quoted cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas as saying.

On the other hand, Congress MLA KL Bairwa dubbed the meeting of MLAs at Dhariwal's residence a "rebellion". "Th high command should decide on CM face. After such an episode, there's no possibility of Ashok Gehlot becoming Congress president. Why was another meeting called, when a meeting at CM's residence was to be held, isn't it rebellion," Bairwa said.

On Sunday, ahead of the CLP meeting, state minister GR Meghwal iterated that Gehlot should continue as the chief minister even if he becomes the party chief. " Our opinion is that Ashok Gehlot should continue as CM. He can handle both responsibilities," Meghwal told ANI as the MLAs reached Dhariwal's residence.

How has the Congress in Delhi reacted?

After meeting Gehlot, Kharge said the party chief would be informed of the developments that took place on Sunday. "We have informed the Congress president about what happened yesterday. Everybody has to abide by whatever decision is taken eventually. There should be discipline in the party," Kharge said on Monday after meeting Gehlot in Jaipur.

General secretary of Congress' Rajasthan unit Ajay Maken said the act of holding a parallel meeting on Sunday evening and refusing to accept the party's decision was "indiscipline" on part of the MLAs.

"Mallikarjun Kharge and I came as observers. We decided on a meeting at the Chief Minister's house at his convenience last evening. But a parallel meeting was held by the MLAs," Maken was quoted as saying.

Maken told the Indian Express that three representatives of the MLAs, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dariwal, Mahesh Joshi and Cabinet Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, came to meet them on Sunday.

The representatives, Maken said, put forward three conditions. The representatives said that the decision on Gehlot's successor in Rajasthan should be made only after October 19, after the party's new chief is announced. Maken said this would be a "conflict of interest".

"I said it would be a complete conflict of interest as Gehlot as a CM is moving a resolution and he has openly declared that he will contest the election. And if he becomes the Congress president, the resolution which he is moving now..he is moving the resolution to empower himself after October 19 on who should replace him. I asked them how is it justified. They wanted this to be a part of the resolution and openly announced. Giving this reason, I said no," Maken was quoted as saying.

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had reportedly rejected the scenario of Gehlot holding both the posts, citing the party's "one rule, one post" stand. NDTV quoted Rahul saying, "We have made a commitment in Udaipur, I expect that the commitment will be maintained" as he reiterated the party's "one person, one rule" stand.

Gehlot earlier said that party leader Rahul Gandhi had told him that no one from the Gandhi family would hold the post.

"I requested him multiple times to accept everyone's wish that he returns as Congress President. He told me he had decided that no one from the Gandhi family should become the next chief," Gehlot was quoted as saying. The party will vote for the next president on October 17 and the counting of votes will take place on October 19.