After reports surfaced that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has emerged as the top choice for the Congress president’s post, the Congress leader has denied them.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Speculations are rife that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has been offered Congress’s president post
- Ashok Gehlot said he has been allocated work by the party’s top command
- Congress leader said he is fulfilling duties that have been assigned to him
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday denied being offered the Congress president post by the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi. He said that the top Congress brass has allocated him duties and he is not compromising on them in Rajasthan.
“I’m hearing this from the media. I don’t know about this. I’m fulfilling duties that have been assigned to me,” senior Congress leader was quoted by ANI as saying.
I'm hearing this from the media. I don't know about this. I'm fulfilling duties that have been assigned to me: Rajasthan CM and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on reports that he has been offered Congress president post by party's interim president Sonia Gandhi pic.twitter.com/dxbJdKvf6r
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2022
“I have been given work by the high command. I am an observer in Gujarat for the upcoming polls. I am not compromising on my duties in Rajasthan. I am hearing rest of the news from the media,” Ashok Gehlot said.
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Earlier, Sonia Gandhi met Ashok Gehlot and apparently asked him to ‘take up’ the party leadership post. The Rajasthan CM made a visit to Delhi solely to attend the meeting at 10 Janpath before heading to Ahemdabad. Although his name has been doing the rounds, there is no official confirmation from the party yet.
Gehlot is the high command’s preferable choice because he has been a trusted lieutenant of Gandhi’s and has immense political experience and could be acceptable to the old guard and new.
GEHLOT TOP CHOICE FOR POST
The ball is in Gehlot ‘s court but he is clearly not keen to wear the crown of thorns. Sources say that he is aware that it will be a tightrope walk for a non Gandhi to lead the party with very little room to manouver.
His reluctance is also because of his current job, as he is not willing to let go of the Rajasthan Chief Ministerial post and is adamant about leading the party into the assembly polls. More so, he is unwilling to pass the baton to Sachin Pilot.
On Monday, Ashok Gehlot said the party is unanimously in favour of Rahul Gandhi for the post of new Congress chief. The process for the election of Congress president got underway on August 21, with the party’s election authority saying it would stick to the schedule of electing a new chief by September 20.
CONGRESS ON GUJARAT POLLS
The Congress had on July 12 appointed Gehlot as a senior observer for the Gujarat elections. Senior Congress leader exuded confidence about Congress winning elections in the BJP’s stronghold Gujarat.
“It is very unfortunate that the BJP is breaking Congress party and taking Congress MLAs and leaders in their party. Proper screening will be done this time,” he said.
“We had a meeting with all our leaders and MLAs. We are in the field to win the elections.We’re here to win polls. I have requested PM Modi to follow and implement the health model of Rajasthan across the country. The scheme is ‘Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana’. Their Ayushman Bharat scheme is incomplete,” Rajasthan CM said.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat | We're here to win polls. I have requested PM Modi to follow and implement the health model of Rajasthan across the country. The scheme is 'Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana'. Their Ayushman Bharat scheme is incomplete: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot pic.twitter.com/ZjWWufukNe
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2022
“Some people are saying Congress is not serious, which is not true. Rahul Gandhi spent three months of the elections here. Seven schemes launched by the Congress party are not available in the whole country. Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana also has insurance. We will have the same scheme in Gujarat in our manifesto,” he said.
“We will also have a scheme for pension where the same amount of money would be contributed by us and the person. We will include that in our manifesto. There is also a popular demand for electricity and we will give free electricity to farmers during the day,” Ashok Gehlot said.
“There is good governance in Rajasthan and many such schemes will be there in our manifesto.It will be the best manifesto and we will give good governance,” he added further.
Asked about the selection process of candidates for Gujarat polls, Congress leader KC VenuGopal said, “We are going to release the first list of candidates before 15th September. Proper planning and selection of candidates has already started.”
“We had a continuous 12 hour meeting with all our leaders and MLAs. We were having a meeting till early morning today. Election preparation and campaign plan was discussed,” he said.
