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Huge Rajasthan Congress Crisis As 80-Plus Team Gehlot MLAs Threaten To Quit

September 25, 2022
Ananthamurthy


Jaipur:
The question of the next Rajasthan Chief Minister has turned into a full-blown crisis for the Congress. Over 90 MLAs of the Ashok Gehlot camp are on way to meet the Speaker saying they want to resign. A mass resignation can pull down the government.

Here are the top 10 points in this big story:

  1. A resignation by 92 MLAs will bring down the strength of the house to 108 where the halfway mark will be at 55. The BJP has 70 MLAs. Asked about the possibility of their move bringing down the government, an MLA said, “We want Ashok Gehlot as the Chief Minister”, indicating that they are expecting concessions from the Central leadership on the “one man one post” issue.

  2. The 80-plus Ashok Gehlot loyalists raised the issue of Sachin Pilot’s rebellion in 2020 and said the Chief Minister must be from among those who supported the government at the time. They even passed a resolution on that after a meeting at the home of MLA Shanti Dhariwal.  

  3. Independent MLA Sanyam Lodha, who also attended the meet, told NDTV, “If the decision is not taken according to the wishes of the MLAs, how will the government run? The government will fall”.

  4. The pressure from Gehlot loyalists came after Rahul Gandhi insisted that the one man one post maxim be followed, which would force Mr Gehlot to resign his post as the Chief Minister. He is the front-runner for the post of the party’s national president, the election for which is due on October 17.

  5. Mr Gehlot had been extremely reluctant to leave the top job in Rajasthan in order to keep out arch-rival Sachin Pilot. Sources indicated earlier that in case he failed to hold onto both posts, he would prefer a loyalist to head the government.  

  6. But Sachin Pilot apparently has the support of the party’s central leadership this time.

  7. The legislature party meeting, which was scheduled for 7 pm in presence of central leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress’s Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken, is yet to be held.  

  8. Mr Gehlot, who had spent the day in Jaisalmer, went into a huddle with Mr Kharge and Mr Maken on his return to Jaipur. The meeting was held at a five-star hotel after which Mr Gehlot headed home and had a meeting with Mr Pilot.  

  9. In Jaisalmer, Mr Gehlot had told reporters that they have faith in the party high command’s decision. “All Congressmen unanimously keep faith on the Congress president, and today also, you will get a glimpse of it,” he was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.

  10. Mr Pilot, credited by many with being the architect of victory in the last assembly election, was seen as a contender for the top job but was persuaded by Rahul Gandhi to act as Mr Gehlot’s Deputy. In 2020, he had rebelled, camping out in Delhi with 18 supporters. The stand-off was resolved after more than a month with intervention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.