Sept 2022 Rajasthan crisis was against Sachin Pilot, says Ashok Gehlot

JAIPUR: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Sunday the Sept 2022 political crisis in the state was a conspiracy to deny him Congress presidency, reviving the controversy around the legislature party meeting in which party MLAs opposed any attempt to make Sachin Pilot chief minister if Gehlot were to demit office.

“It is repeatedly asked what happened on Sept 25. There can never be a revolt against the high command,” Gehlot said, adding the episode was against “Sachin Pilot, whose name was being circulated” to take oath as chief minister if Gehlot became Congress president.





Gehlot said a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting was called in Jaipur on Sept 25, 2022, to discuss Rajasthan’s leadership if he were elected Congress president. He said MLAs close to him stayed away, held a parallel meeting and went to Assembly Speaker CP Joshi’s residence to submit mass resignations, opposing Pilot’s elevation.

Rejecting the claim that he engineered the crisis to retain the chief minister’s post, Gehlot said the resistance came from legislators unwilling to accept Pilot because of his 2020 rebellion against the Gehlot govt, when Pilot and supporting MLAs allegedly camped in Haryana’s Manesar. Gehlot has alleged the 2020 crisis was a BJP conspiracy to topple his govt.

He said the narrative that the Sept 2022 events amounted to a revolt against the Congress leadership was pushed by Pilot’s associates. “The media spread this narrative, and I remained silent,” he said.

Gehlot said he later told Sonia Gandhi he could not get a resolution passed at the CLP meeting, and said he expressed regret and apologised. “The situation that unfolded... I feel it was a conspiracy. AICC observers arrived suddenly, a spectacle ensued, and I ended up with abad reputation,” he said.

He also questioned why MLAs did not rally behind Pilot despite speculation about his appointment. “Whenever the high command decides that the chief minister should be replaced, 90% of the MLAs who were previously with the incumbent chief minister switch their allegiance to the new one. What was the reason that when the new chief minister’s name began circulating... MLAs did not go to him,” he said.

Urging Pilot to “accept the truth”, Gehlot said, “truth has no alternative,” and maintained that Pilot “made mistakes during the 2020 crisis” and should acknowledge them, while calling for unity. He said he was not seeking any post: “It would be a different matter if a position were to come my way unsolicited. I am not vying for any post.”

Gehlot also took aim at Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat after Shekhawat said in Jodhpur that whenever Pilot is about to get a new role, Gehlot targets him. “Shekhawat is a worried man. He does not know how long he will remain a minister. He should focus on protecting his ministerial position instead of commenting on us,” Gehlot said.

He alleged Shekhawat was linked to the 2020 Manesar episode. “He was also a participant in the Manesar episode,” Gehlot said, claiming meetings related to a conspiracy to topple his govt were held at the residences of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Gehlot also referred to the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society case, reiterating allegations against Shekhawat, and attacked the BJP over inflation. “Inflation hurts women the most. Prices have increased so much that people cannot imagine it. The govt has no understanding of the hardships people are facing,” he said.

BJP state president Madan Rathore said former chief minister Ashok Gehlot was making statements merely to remain in the headlines and project himself as politically relevant. Given his long experience and three terms as chief minister, Gehlot should exercise greater responsibility and seriousness in his public remarks, Rathore said.