The Congress leadership on Thursday continued to battle with a two-fold crisis: Deciding the fate of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and picking up an “official” candidate for the party president’s election. Gehlot on Thursday met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, tendered an apology for the revolt in Rajasthan Congress, and offered to step down if Sonia so desired.
However, the party seemed in no mood to forgive him. He was signaled to pull out of the presidential race and asked to wait for a decision on his continuation as the Chief Minister. Congress general Secretary KC Venugopal said the party president will decide on the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s post within a day or two.
Gehlot echoed the same view. Asked if he will continue as Chief Minister, Gehlot said Gandhi will decide on the issue. “I have apologised to Sonia ji because a simple resolution, which is our tradition and which we always pass could not be passed as a situation emerged. I, as a CLP leader, whatever the reasons, could not get the resolution passed,” he said.
Gehlot, a three-time Chief Minister, described himself as a disciplined soldier of the party and expressed his sadness over the turn of events in the State.
“In the last 50 years, I have worked as a loyal Congress soldier from the time of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao, and Sonia ji, be it becoming a Central Minister or State unit chief, general secretary, or Chief Minister for the third time, I cannot forget that. The events that happened (on Sunday) have shaken all of us. Only I know how hurt I am because a message went out that I want to remain Chief Minister,” Gehlot said.
Gehlot’s bete noir Sachin Pilot also met with Sonia late in the evening and told media persons that the party chief is committed to solving the Rajasthan crisis and his main goal was to bring the Congress back in power after the 2023 Assembly polls.
Sources said during the Sonia-Pilot meeting, former chief Rahul Gandhi joined them virtually from his night halt container in Tamil Nadu. Both Sonia and Rahul heard Pilot and are believed to have assured him that they would take steps to address his grievances.
“I met Congress president. She listened to me calmly. We held a detailed discussion on whatever happened in Jaipur, Rajasthan. I told her my sentiments, my feedback. All of us want to win the 2023 polls (in Rajasthan) by working hard. We’ll have to work together,” Pilot said briefing the waiting media outside the residence of Sonia.
Meanwhile, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Thursday picked up the nomination papers for the party president’s post and is likely to formally join the race.
However, it was unlikely that he could be the party’s “official” candidate.
To begin with, he had no meeting with Sonia Gandhi on Thursday, something is seen as a must if the party was going to field him in the race.
Secondly, Diggy Raja is seen as the poster boy of "appeasement" politics, something the Congress could ill afford to put up with at a time when the BJP is riding high on the Hindutva wave. That leaves the field open for a wild card entry. There are speculations that Maharashtra Dalit leader Mukul Wasnik could be that wild card.
Wasnik is the son of the late Maharashtra leader and former MP Balkrishna Wasnik.
Meanwhile, talking to the media at the AICC headquarters Digvijaya Singh said he has collected the nomination papers and will most probably file them on Friday. Asked if he was acting at the behest of the party leadership, he said, "I am responsible for myself."
More than 10 Congress legislators from Madhya Pradesh will reach Delhi to be the proposers for Digvijaya Singh when he files his nomination. Singh, arrived in Delhi late Wednesday night leaving the Bharat Jodo Yatra midway.
Singh met the party MP from Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday after collecting nomination papers for the polls. "Received a visit from Digvijaya Singh this afternoon. I welcome his candidacy for the Presidency of our Party," Tharoor said in a tweet. "We both agreed that ours is not a battle between rivals but a friendly contest among colleagues. All we both want is that whoever prevails, @incIndia will win!" he said.
Responding to Tharoor's tweets, Singh said,"I agree @Shashi Tharoor we are fighting the communal forces in India. Both belief in the Gandhian Nehruvian Ideology and shall fight them relentlessly, come what may. Best wishes."Tharoor has already declared that he will file his nomination for the post of Congress president on Friday, the last day of the nomination process.
Meanwhile, the Congress leadership warned of strict disciplinary action against all party leaders at any level from making public statements against other leaders or about the party's internal matters. "We are noticing statements of Congress leaders in Rajasthan regarding the Party's internal matters and against other leaders. 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," Venugopal said in a statement.
The terse warning came after Rajasthan Congress leader Dharmendra Rathore, who has been sent a notice for 'indiscipline' by the party leadership, on Thursday accused Sachin Pilot loyalist Ved Prakash Solanki of being a "traitor", producing a video that purportedly proves this.
