By Express News Service
NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD: A day after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot emerged as the front-runner for the Congress president’s post, the veteran leader parried media queries about his candidature. Within the party, efforts were on to convince him to convey his consent.
With Rahul Gandhi refusing to occupy the position, Gehlot’s name got into in circulation after he called on interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday. Gehlot was scheduled to meet Rahul as well, but could not do so as Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka left for London soon after.
Sonia went for a medical checkup, the Congress said, adding Rahul will be back to address the September 4 rally in Delhi against price rise.
Sources said before leaving for London, Sonia asked Gehlot to take up the responsibility of leading the Congress. Gehlot enjoys cordial relationships with senior party leaders, including those in the G23 ginger group.
Bringing him to Delhi is expected to also settle the dispute between him and former Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot, who has been demanding a change of guard before the state Assembly elections next year. For the record, Gehlot told the media in Delhi,
“We will try to persuade Rahul Gandhiji till the last moment to take over as the Congress president. The Congress Working Committee meeting will be held on August 28… If Rahul does not become the president, many will be disappointed.” In Ahmedabad, Gehlot was evasive when asked about him leading the party.
“The media keeps on speculating. Till a decision is made, neither you nor I can comment on it,” he said.
He also claimed his efforts were directed at ensuring a repeat mandate in Rajasthan.
Gehlot said, “if Rahul Gandhi does not become the president, many people will be disappointed and will sit at home.”
Earlier in the day after landing in Delhi from Ahmedabad, Gehlot said nobody knows what will be decided when asked about the reports about him being considered for the post of Congress president.
“Sonia (Gandhi) ji has gone abroad for a checkup. (K C) Venugopal ji and I paid a courtesy call on her yesterday when we were going to Gujarat. This has been doing the rounds in the media for a long time. You keep talking about it. Nobody knows what is going to be decided,” he said.
The veteran Congress leader added that he is concentrating on the two responsibilities given to him — senior observer for the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls and chief minister of Rajasthan.
He asserted that his efforts were directed at ensuring the Congress government retained power in Rajasthan.
Pressed by reporters on the party presidency question, Gehlot shot back, “has anybody briefed you at AICC? No one has done that. The media keeps on speculating. Till a decision is made, neither you nor I can comment on it.”
Addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad this morning, Gehlot had said he was hearing the talk about the party presidency from the media and did not know about it.
“I’m fulfilling duties that have been assigned to me,” he said.
In a scenario of having a non-Gandhi president, the names of Gehlot, Kamal Nath, K C Venugopal, Meira Kumar and Kumari Selja have been doing the rounds.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body, will hold a virtual meeting on Sunday to approve the schedule of dates for the election of the Congress president.
Sonia Gandhi will preside over the CWC meeting.
Several leaders, including Gehlot, have been publicly exhorting Rahul Gandhi to become party chief again.
However, uncertainty and suspense continue on the issue.
Several party insiders say Rahul Gandhi is persisting with his stance that he will not be AICC president.
He resigned as Congress president after the party suffered its second consecutive defeat in parliamentary elections in 2019.
Sonia Gandhi, who took over the reins of the party again as interim president, had also offered to quit in August 2020 after an open revolt by a section of leaders, referred to as G-23, but the CWC had urged her to continue.
He also promised that several people-oriented and social welfare schemes implemented in his state by the ruling Congress will be replicated in Gujarat if the party is voted to power following the Assembly elections due later this year.
These schemes will also find a mention in the party’s manifesto for the Gujarat elections, he said, adding that industrial development will also be promoted on the lines of Rajasthan.
In Ahmedabad to hold meetings on the Gujarat Assembly poll preparations, Gehlot while talking to reporters denied speculations that he was the top choice to be the next Congress president.
Gehlot said if the Congress is voted to power in Gujarat, it will introduce a health insurance scheme like the one implemented in Rajasthan, an old pension scheme, a separate agriculture budget and day-time electricity to farmers, an employment guarantee scheme, quality food for Rs 8 per plate, English medium schools, among other things.
“We are here to win the election. BJP is exposed after 27 years of its rule in Gujarat. Rahul Gandhi has said that the (Congress’s) election manifesto will be based on what the public thinks, which is what was done the last time,” he said.
“People-oriented schemes that were implemented in Rajasthan after the Congress formed a government there will be rolled out in Gujarat as soon as it comes to power here and will find a place in the party’s election manifesto,” he added.
The Congress government will implement the Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme, wherein beneficiaries can avail of cashless treatment, he said.
The government will also come up with the old pension scheme for all those who have joined government jobs after January 1, 2004.
It will provide electricity for agriculture during the day, which has been implemented in 16 out of 33 districts of Rajasthan, with the rest of the districts to be covered by next year, Gehlot said.
“The new government will also provide Rs 5 per litre milk subsidy to dairy farmers, implement ‘Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme,’ financial assistance for widows, orphans, ‘Indira Rasoi Scheme’ to provide fresh and nutritious food at Rs 8 per plate in urban areas, opening of English medium schools, etc,” the senior Congress leader said.
He said that the new government will also encourage investment in Gujarat on the lines of ‘Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Ltd (RIICO)’ and ‘Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme (RIPS).’
Last week, the party launched its Gujarat election manifesto campaign and assigned the task to former AICC general secretary Deepak Babaria.
Teams of party workers will hold meetings across the state and collect suggestions gathered from the people which will be reviewed by the committee before they are finalised and put into the manifesto, party leaders said.
Gehlot said he is working as the senior observer for Gujarat polls and as the CM of Rajasthan on the party high command’s direction.
“I have been given the job of senior observer for the Gujarat elections by the high command, I am fulfilling this duty. Secondly, I have been made to work as the chief minister and I am not compromising on it, working day and night as our aim is to again form government there (in Rajasthan),” he said.
CWC meet on party poll this Sunday
The Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, will hold a virtual meeting on Sunday to approve the schedule for the election.
(With PTI Inputs)
NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD: A day after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot emerged as the front-runner for the Congress president’s post, the veteran leader parried media queries about his candidature. Within the party, efforts were on to convince him to convey his consent.
With Rahul Gandhi refusing to occupy the position, Gehlot’s name got into in circulation after he called on interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday. Gehlot was scheduled to meet Rahul as well, but could not do so as Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka left for London soon after.
Sonia went for a medical checkup, the Congress said, adding Rahul will be back to address the September 4 rally in Delhi against price rise.
Sources said before leaving for London, Sonia asked Gehlot to take up the responsibility of leading the Congress. Gehlot enjoys cordial relationships with senior party leaders, including those in the G23 ginger group.
Bringing him to Delhi is expected to also settle the dispute between him and former Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot, who has been demanding a change of guard before the state Assembly elections next year. For the record, Gehlot told the media in Delhi,
“We will try to persuade Rahul Gandhiji till the last moment to take over as the Congress president. The Congress Working Committee meeting will be held on August 28… If Rahul does not become the president, many will be disappointed.” In Ahmedabad, Gehlot was evasive when asked about him leading the party.
“The media keeps on speculating. Till a decision is made, neither you nor I can comment on it,” he said.
He also claimed his efforts were directed at ensuring a repeat mandate in Rajasthan.
Gehlot said, “if Rahul Gandhi does not become the president, many people will be disappointed and will sit at home.”
Earlier in the day after landing in Delhi from Ahmedabad, Gehlot said nobody knows what will be decided when asked about the reports about him being considered for the post of Congress president.
“Sonia (Gandhi) ji has gone abroad for a checkup. (K C) Venugopal ji and I paid a courtesy call on her yesterday when we were going to Gujarat. This has been doing the rounds in the media for a long time. You keep talking about it. Nobody knows what is going to be decided,” he said.
The veteran Congress leader added that he is concentrating on the two responsibilities given to him — senior observer for the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls and chief minister of Rajasthan.
He asserted that his efforts were directed at ensuring the Congress government retained power in Rajasthan.
Pressed by reporters on the party presidency question, Gehlot shot back, “has anybody briefed you at AICC? No one has done that. The media keeps on speculating. Till a decision is made, neither you nor I can comment on it.”
Addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad this morning, Gehlot had said he was hearing the talk about the party presidency from the media and did not know about it.
“I’m fulfilling duties that have been assigned to me,” he said.
In a scenario of having a non-Gandhi president, the names of Gehlot, Kamal Nath, K C Venugopal, Meira Kumar and Kumari Selja have been doing the rounds.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body, will hold a virtual meeting on Sunday to approve the schedule of dates for the election of the Congress president.
Sonia Gandhi will preside over the CWC meeting.
Several leaders, including Gehlot, have been publicly exhorting Rahul Gandhi to become party chief again.
However, uncertainty and suspense continue on the issue.
Several party insiders say Rahul Gandhi is persisting with his stance that he will not be AICC president.
He resigned as Congress president after the party suffered its second consecutive defeat in parliamentary elections in 2019.
Sonia Gandhi, who took over the reins of the party again as interim president, had also offered to quit in August 2020 after an open revolt by a section of leaders, referred to as G-23, but the CWC had urged her to continue.
He also promised that several people-oriented and social welfare schemes implemented in his state by the ruling Congress will be replicated in Gujarat if the party is voted to power following the Assembly elections due later this year.
These schemes will also find a mention in the party’s manifesto for the Gujarat elections, he said, adding that industrial development will also be promoted on the lines of Rajasthan.
In Ahmedabad to hold meetings on the Gujarat Assembly poll preparations, Gehlot while talking to reporters denied speculations that he was the top choice to be the next Congress president.
Gehlot said if the Congress is voted to power in Gujarat, it will introduce a health insurance scheme like the one implemented in Rajasthan, an old pension scheme, a separate agriculture budget and day-time electricity to farmers, an employment guarantee scheme, quality food for Rs 8 per plate, English medium schools, among other things.
“We are here to win the election. BJP is exposed after 27 years of its rule in Gujarat. Rahul Gandhi has said that the (Congress’s) election manifesto will be based on what the public thinks, which is what was done the last time,” he said.
“People-oriented schemes that were implemented in Rajasthan after the Congress formed a government there will be rolled out in Gujarat as soon as it comes to power here and will find a place in the party’s election manifesto,” he added.
The Congress government will implement the Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme, wherein beneficiaries can avail of cashless treatment, he said.
The government will also come up with the old pension scheme for all those who have joined government jobs after January 1, 2004.
It will provide electricity for agriculture during the day, which has been implemented in 16 out of 33 districts of Rajasthan, with the rest of the districts to be covered by next year, Gehlot said.
“The new government will also provide Rs 5 per litre milk subsidy to dairy farmers, implement ‘Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme,’ financial assistance for widows, orphans, ‘Indira Rasoi Scheme’ to provide fresh and nutritious food at Rs 8 per plate in urban areas, opening of English medium schools, etc,” the senior Congress leader said.
He said that the new government will also encourage investment in Gujarat on the lines of ‘Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Ltd (RIICO)’ and ‘Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme (RIPS).’
Last week, the party launched its Gujarat election manifesto campaign and assigned the task to former AICC general secretary Deepak Babaria.
Teams of party workers will hold meetings across the state and collect suggestions gathered from the people which will be reviewed by the committee before they are finalised and put into the manifesto, party leaders said.
Gehlot said he is working as the senior observer for Gujarat polls and as the CM of Rajasthan on the party high command’s direction.
“I have been given the job of senior observer for the Gujarat elections by the high command, I am fulfilling this duty. Secondly, I have been made to work as the chief minister and I am not compromising on it, working day and night as our aim is to again form government there (in Rajasthan),” he said.
CWC meet on party poll this Sunday
The Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, will hold a virtual meeting on Sunday to approve the schedule for the election.
(With PTI Inputs)
