Gehlot vows not to contest Congress presidential poll
‘Whether I remain the CM will be decided by Sonia,’ says Rajasthan chief minister; Digvijaya Singh to file nomination for party leadership
Ater over an hour-long meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence here, Rajashtan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that he will not contest the Congress presidential poll and the issue of Rajasthan chief ministership will be decided by her.
Gehlot said, “In this environment I don’t want to contest and the issue of chief ministership will be decided by the party high command. Whether I remain the CM will be decided by Madam (Sonia Gandhi). I am a loyal soldier of the Congress from Indiraji’s time. I have expressed regret and sadness over whatever happened in Jaipur.” Earlier, while entering Sonia’s residence at 10 Janpath, Gehlot was seen carrying a set of papers. On one of the papers, it was writen -- “Whatever has happened is sad and I am also hurt.” “I have always acted as a loyal soldier of the party. The incident that happened on the day of the legislature party meeting has let everyone shaken. It gave a message as if I wanted to continue as the chief minister, so I apologised to her,” Gehlot said ater the meeting.
The meeting came a day ahead of the last date of nomination for the Congress presidential poll.
Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, Sonia’s emissary Mukul Wasnik had met Gehlot.
Meanwhile, senior leader Digvijaya Singh will file nomination for the post of Congress president for which election is scheduled to be held on Oct.17.
Sources close to Singh said that the decision to contest the polls was his personal one, and none from the Gandhi family asked him to do so.
Congress’ initial plan was to field Gehlot for the top party post, but the high-octane drama in Jaipur has miffed the Gandhis.
Meanwhile, the Congress has asked its Rajasthan leaders to refrain from making statements against each other or disciplinary action will be taken.
In a leter, party general secretary KC Venugopal said, “we are noticing statements of Congress leaders in Rajasthan regarding the party’s internal maters and against other leaders. It is advised that all Congress leaders at any level should refrain from making public statements against other leaders or about the party’s internal maters.” “Strict disciplinary action will be initiated under the provisions of the constitution of the Indian National Congress if any violation of this advisory is made,” it said.
The Congress on Tuesday served show-cause notices to Rajasthan Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal, party chief whip Mahesh Joshi and RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore for holding a parallel meeting of party legislators in Jaipur.
Digvijaya also got the support from the Congress unit of Madhya Pradesh and a delegation of party’s MLAS would reach the national capital to extend their support to Singh.
Digvijaya’s brother Laxman Singh, who had once joined the BJP and returned to the Congress in 2013, said, “Our parents have always taught us about struggle. Me and my brother, Digvijaya Singh, are not the ones who would step back. We will fight.” Meanwhile, leader of opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly -- Dr Govind Singh, who is considered close to Digvijaya, claimed that Congress leader Kamal Nath had asked him to reach Delhi with party’s MLAS.
“Nearly two dozen MLAS, including Dr Govind Singh would reach Delhi by late night or early Friday morning,” sources said.
“Why Digvijaya Singh would be the best candidate for AICC head, it has three reasons -- First, he is a good orator with a decades of experience of both administration and the organisation, second, he belongs to the Hindi-speaking belt where the party’s condition is completely deteriorated, and third reason is that the Congress head should be a person who can take on PM Modi and, therefore Digvijaya Singh would be the best candidate for the party’s to post,” said a Congress leader on condition of anonymity.
Senior Congress leader and first chairperson of National Commission for Women (NCW) Jayanti Patnaik passed away here at a private hospital on Wednesday night. She was 90.
She is survived by son Prithvi Ballav Patnaik and two daughters.
Her husband, former Odisha chief minister and ex-governor of Assam JB Patnaik had passed away in 2015.