Express News Service
JAIPUR: In a statement that signals a revival of Gehlot-Pilot camp tensions, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has claimed that he has become the Chief Minister three times not because of his caste but due to support of all sections of society.
Barely a few days after Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra left Rajasthan, Gehlot asserted that nobody can become CM only with the support of one caste. This is seen as an indirect attack on Sachin Pilot and his Gujjar group who have been demanding that Pilot should be made the CM.
Interestingly, Gehlot’s comments have come just a couple of days before the Congress holds a big state level conference in which In-charge of Rajasthan Sukhwinder Randhawa will also participate and find out the current mood among Congress MLAs in Rajasthan.
Speaking at a public meeting in Nadbai, a Gurjar-dominated area of Bharatpur, CM Gehlot said that no chief minister is made on the basis of caste. Although he did not name anyone in his statement political experts believe CM Gehlot has targeted Sachin Pilot. In his statement Gehlot said, ‘‘today I am the Chief Minister, I want to serve every community, be it Jat, Gujjar, Rajput, Kushwaha, Jatav, Brahmin, Bania, Meena, Whatever be the people of the community, because I know that no chief minister is made on the basis of caste.’’ It is notable that Sachin Pilot belongs to the Gujjar community, a prominent martial community of the state and his supporters have demanded that he be chief minister on the basis of caste support.
CM Gehlot even asserted about how lucky he is that despite being the only MLA from his caste (Mali), he became the Chief Minister not once but thrice as he got the blessings of people of entire Rajasthan. The CM further said that on the basis of caste no one becomes Chief Minister and added that he wants to serve the people of every caste of the state. He knows that if the people of every community do not give him love and blessings, he could never have becomes the Chief Minister.
So far, neither Sachin Pilot nor any of his supporter MLA have hit back on Gehlot’s statement. This row has erupted just a few days after Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra ended its Rajasthan leg. But now the latest statement from Ashok Gehlot has raised the eyebrows of many who are questioning if the ceasefire between Gehlot and Sachin Pilot during Rahul’s Yatra will last much longer.
Gehlot’s remarks have come just ahead of the state level convention of the Rajasthan Congress to be held on December 28. Party In-charge of Rajasthan Sukhwinder Randhawa will participate in this session which will be the first time after September 25 that Congress MLAs will meet the high command. Immediately after the session of Rajasthan Congress on December 28, Randhawa will start the work of feeling the pulse of Rajasthan Congress and party MLAs.
Randhawa’s most important meeting will be with the Congress MLAs. This meeting will be held on December 28 or December 29 at the new Congress headquarters on Hospital Road in Jaipur. Randhawa’s meeting with the MLAs is being considered as an important event as this will be the first time after the Congress Legislature Party meeting was not held on September 25 due to revolt and resignations of pro-Gehlot MLAs. Randhawa’s separate meeting with the MLAs is being considered as an informal Legislature Party meeting where Randhawa will probe the mind of Congress MLAs to know what exactly the MLAs want. Whether the MLAs should have a one-to-one talk with Randhawa or in a group will be decided after his arrival in Jaipur.
JAIPUR: In a statement that signals a revival of Gehlot-Pilot camp tensions, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has claimed that he has become the Chief Minister three times not because of his caste but due to support of all sections of society.
Barely a few days after Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra left Rajasthan, Gehlot asserted that nobody can become CM only with the support of one caste. This is seen as an indirect attack on Sachin Pilot and his Gujjar group who have been demanding that Pilot should be made the CM.
Interestingly, Gehlot’s comments have come just a couple of days before the Congress holds a big state level conference in which In-charge of Rajasthan Sukhwinder Randhawa will also participate and find out the current mood among Congress MLAs in Rajasthan.
Speaking at a public meeting in Nadbai, a Gurjar-dominated area of Bharatpur, CM Gehlot said that no chief minister is made on the basis of caste. Although he did not name anyone in his statement political experts believe CM Gehlot has targeted Sachin Pilot. In his statement Gehlot said, ‘‘today I am the Chief Minister, I want to serve every community, be it Jat, Gujjar, Rajput, Kushwaha, Jatav, Brahmin, Bania, Meena, Whatever be the people of the community, because I know that no chief minister is made on the basis of caste.’’ It is notable that Sachin Pilot belongs to the Gujjar community, a prominent martial community of the state and his supporters have demanded that he be chief minister on the basis of caste support.
CM Gehlot even asserted about how lucky he is that despite being the only MLA from his caste (Mali), he became the Chief Minister not once but thrice as he got the blessings of people of entire Rajasthan. The CM further said that on the basis of caste no one becomes Chief Minister and added that he wants to serve the people of every caste of the state. He knows that if the people of every community do not give him love and blessings, he could never have becomes the Chief Minister.
So far, neither Sachin Pilot nor any of his supporter MLA have hit back on Gehlot’s statement. This row has erupted just a few days after Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra ended its Rajasthan leg. But now the latest statement from Ashok Gehlot has raised the eyebrows of many who are questioning if the ceasefire between Gehlot and Sachin Pilot during Rahul’s Yatra will last much longer.
Gehlot’s remarks have come just ahead of the state level convention of the Rajasthan Congress to be held on December 28. Party In-charge of Rajasthan Sukhwinder Randhawa will participate in this session which will be the first time after September 25 that Congress MLAs will meet the high command. Immediately after the session of Rajasthan Congress on December 28, Randhawa will start the work of feeling the pulse of Rajasthan Congress and party MLAs.
Randhawa’s most important meeting will be with the Congress MLAs. This meeting will be held on December 28 or December 29 at the new Congress headquarters on Hospital Road in Jaipur. Randhawa’s meeting with the MLAs is being considered as an important event as this will be the first time after the Congress Legislature Party meeting was not held on September 25 due to revolt and resignations of pro-Gehlot MLAs. Randhawa’s separate meeting with the MLAs is being considered as an informal Legislature Party meeting where Randhawa will probe the mind of Congress MLAs to know what exactly the MLAs want. Whether the MLAs should have a one-to-one talk with Randhawa or in a group will be decided after his arrival in Jaipur.
