Sachin Pilot’s rebellion had almost brought down Ashok Gehlot’s government in 2020Jaipur:
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, a frontrunner for Congress chief’s post, met his MLAs last night and told them that he is “not going anywhere”, sources said. The meeting was held after he hosted a dinner for Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar This comes amid speculation that if the Congress veteran moves to Delhi as party chief, the Chief Minister’s post may go to his bitter rival Sachin Pilot, whose rebellion had almost brought down his government.The 71-year-old Congress veteran is learnt to have told the legislators that he will file nomination for the Congress chief’s post. “Tha soon door nahi (I will not be far from you),” he told the MLAs, sources said.Mr Gehlot added that he will keep serving Rajasthan wherever he goes. “Main kahin nahin ja raha, chinta mat karo (I am not going anywhere, don’t worry,” he said, in a clear indication that he has no plans to give up the Chief Minister’s post at this point.He told MLAs that he will be meeting party president Sonia Gandhi today and will fly out this evening to meet Rahul Gandhi, who is on a Congress march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir — Bharat Jodo Yatra — to rally support ahead of the 2024 general election.Mr Gehlot has reportedly told the MLAs that he would try to convince Rahul Gandhi “one last time” to take over as the party president. Mr Gandhi stepped down from the post after Congress’ poor show in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and has refused to return since.The Rajasthan Chief Minister told MLAs that all of them must come to Delhi when he files his nomination. He said he “will do what the party commands” and that he is a “loyal soldier”.According to sources, Mr Gehlot has told the Congress leadership that he wants to stay on as Rajasthan Chief Minister for some time even if he becomes the party chief, apparently to block Mr Pilot’s attempt to fill up the political vacuum.Sources said if he needs to move to the national capital, Mr Gehlot would want a loyalist in the power seat back home. If not, then we would want to keep both roles by taking over as working president of the Congress with Sonia Gandhi as full-time chief, it is learnt. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has also declared his intention to run for the top post and got a go-ahead from Mrs Gandhi. While Mr Gehlot is a staunch loyalist of the Gandhi family, Mr Tharoor was part of 23 senior party leaders who demanded sweeping reforms in the party in a letter to Mrs Gandhi in 2020.The Congress will accept nominations for the party chief’s post till September 30. The elections are scheduled for October 17 and the results will be declared on October 19.
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