Additional charge of the Railway Ministry for the second time to Union Transport and Highways Minister CP Joshi indicates his growing political clout in Delhi and rise in his political status in his home State in general and the Congress party in particular.
There were jubilations among Joshi’s followers when he got the additional charge of an important Ministry like Raiwalys. But this has not gone down well with the supporters of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who look this development as emergence of alternate leadership in the party.
Earlier, Joshi was given additional charge of the Railway Ministry in September last year, when Mukul Roy resigned as Railway Minister following the Trinamool Congress deciding to come out of the UPA-II.
Once known as protégé of Gehlot, Joshi, who belongs to the Mewar region of Rajasthan, started making his mark in Delhi, when he was inducted in the Cabinet after the UPA came to power second time in 2009. To cash this opportunity, Joshi instead of depending on Gehlot started cultivating his contacts with higher-ups in Congress party and soon emerged as a trusted man of the party High Command.
“Though he has been given temporary charge of the Railway Ministry, this speaks about the confidence of the party High Command in him,” says Congress spokesman Satyander Ranghav considered close to Joshi.
About two years back a comment by Joshi had created flutter in the Congress circles. At a function, Joshi had said that he was no more a follower of Gehlot. “I could now be taken as his corroborator,” he said in the presence of Gehlot, who was presiding over the function.
Since then the buzz in the party is that Joshi would soon emerge as alternative to Gehlot and whenever the party thinks for change in leadership in the State, Joshi would be the strong contender for it.
Since then relations between Joshi and Gehlot are far from normal.
Though they never say anything against each other publicly, in the party circles they would vent their feelings against each.
Almost all the Ministers from Rajasthan are taking part in Gehlot’s Sandesh Yatra but so far Joshi has not joined the same.
Gehlot camp never liked the entry of Joshi in cricket politics. When Joshi became president of Rajasthan Cricket Association, the body hardly got any cooperation from the Government.
Only two months back, Shivcharan Mali, Chairman of Rajasthan State Sports Council, refused to give SMS stadium for 6th edition of IPl, unless the RCA cleared its previous due of IPl-5. When the IPl threatened to shift the match from Jaipur only then the Government persuaded Mali not to press for clearance of the due immediately. Mali is right hand man of Gehlot and was not in mood to allow the RCA to have IPl matches at SMS Stadium in Jaipur.
Around the same time, a petition was filed in a local court alleging corruption and irregularities in awarding contract during IPl-5. On the orders of the court, the police registered a case against Joshi. The person, who had filed the petition, is close to Mali.