Stirring up a hornet’s nest, Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, a Sachin Pilot loyalist, questioned former CM Ashok Gehlot’s statement on chief minister candidature.
As the polling is over, the longstanding infighting in the Congress camp has again started flaring up. Stirring up a hornet’s nest, Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, a Sachin Pilot loyalist, questioned former CM Ashok Gehlot’s statement on chief minister candidature.
“Who is Ashok Gehlot to decide chief minister contender,” said Khachariyawas while talking to media after the polling concluded in Rajasthan. He vented his anger on Gehlot’s statement where he asserted that five leaders in the party are capable to become the chief minister.
“I read his statement in a newspaper. He is saying the party has five faces. But, it is we the MLAs of the legislative party who will decide who will be our leader,” said Khachariyawas who is a Congress candidate from Jaipur Civil Lines constituency.
Surprisingly, Gehlot replied back replied in the affirmative to what Khachariyawas had to say. “Khachariyawas has a valid point to make. Rahul ji will decide who will be the chief minister in Rajasthan,” he said.
Gehlot further reiterated that he has no ambition to hold any post and would serve in the state or New Delhi as the party high command will ask him to do. “I am not aspiring for any post. Whatever responsibility will be given to me in the state or here (New Delhi) will be accepted by me,” said Gehlot.
The Congress, which has a bright chance to return to power, has been facing infighting since long and on several occasions during campaigning for the Assembly elections Pilot and Gehlot were even seen exchanging jibes and remarks over who should be the CM face. In recent past, senior Congress leaders like Lal Chand Kataria, Sanjay Bafna openly advocated for Gehlot as the next CM of Rajasthan. The leaders in the Pilot camp had registered protests on such statements and the high command had to intervene, pulling up the leaders instructing them to restrain from making such statements till the the election process is done with.
Hours after the polling on December 7, Khachariyawas reignited the debate as he took on Gehlot who is AICC general secretary and two times CM. It is worth mentioning here that Khachariyawas was first time elected as MLA in 2008-13 and has been since then critical of the Gehlot government. Moreover, he also once on the floor of Assembly was found cornering the government, leaving the former chief minister embarrassed.
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 "Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Ashok Gehlot")
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