After poll debacle, reports of Rajasthan agriculture minister's resignation puts Gehlot under further pressure

Speculation was rife on Sunday about senior Congress leader Lalchand Kataria quitting as the Agriculture Minister of Rajasthan with his purported resignation letter doing the rounds on social media, even though the Chief Minister's Office did not confirm the development.

In a purported press release, Kataria said he resigned from the Ashok Gehlot cabinet in the wake of the Congress party's poor performance in the state in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress lost all 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the general elections. The BJP won 24 and its ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party one seat in the Congress-ruled state.

Kataria said he was forwarding his resignation to Governor Kalyan Singh through the CM.

When contacted, the Chief Minister's Office told PTI, "We refuse to confirm the resignation."

Even sources at the Raj Bhawan did not confirm the resignation. "There is no confirmation on this," said a source.

Kataria could not be contacted for comments as his official phone was unreachable.