Gehlot's dig at Pilot: 'Few MLAs sitting with Amit Shah'
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot made a jab at his adversary Sachin Pilot on Sunday, claiming that Congress MLAs in the state believed it was better to rebel than accept "others" as chief minister. In reference to the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) attempt to destabilize the state administration, he stated that few members are "sitting with Amit Shah, Zafar Islam, and Dharmendra Pradhan."
Why does this story matter?
The grand old party will hold the presidential election in October and may get a non-Gandhi leader at its helm. With Gehlot out of the race, the party might witness a two-way contest between Sashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge While Gehlot was considered the "Gandhi family" candidate, the political "rebellion" in Jaipur over the weekend diminished his chances.
What exactly did Gehlot say?
"MLAs thought it was better to rebel than accept others. Everybody knows that a few MLAs were sitting with Amit Shah, Zafar Islam, and Dharmendra Pradhan," Gehlot after paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at a function in Jaipur. "Everybody knows that the BJP was trying to topple the government. They don't want the government to complete five years," he said.
'MLAs were angry; didn't want me to leave Rajasthan'
Gehlot said that first time in the history of Congress, that one-line resolution was not passed. "I still feel sad that it was not passed. That's why I apologized too," he said. He said that the situation arise because MLAs were angry because I was called to become Congress chief. "What would have happened to them if I had left Rajasthan?" he asked.
What crisis happened in the desert state?
Last month, over 90 Congress MLAs from the Gehlot camp reportedly visited Assembly Speaker CP Joshi to "offer their resignation" if Pilot becomes the CM. Senior leaders were rushed to Rajasthan to prevent another Congress-led government from collapsing. CM's loyalists wanted one of their leaders to replace Gehlot. The development has, however, fueled rage against Gehlot in Congress.
Probably rebellion by Pilot again
Since Gehlot is out of the Congress presidential race, he will continue to hold the CM post. So, there might be another rebellion by Pilot. He was reportedly promised the CM chair in 2018 but launched a major rebellion when he wasn't offered the same in 2020. So far, Pilot hasn't come forth to stand for Congress president amid the chaos.
