NEW DELHI: Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has reignited discussions around the 2022 Congress presidential race and internal party turmoil, saying he would not have refused the top post if offered by Sonia Gandhi and the party leadership.His comments are being seen as reopening old fault lines within the Congress over the leadership transition process that eventually led to Mallikarjun Kharge becoming party chief in October 2022.Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Gehlot questioned the perception that he had declined the party presidency while choosing to remain Rajasthan chief minister.Gehlot said, “I know the stature of the Congress President’s post.. (Mahatma) Gandhiji has been President, Pandit Nehru, Motilal Nehru has been President, who hasn’t been, Sardar Patel has been party President, if Sonia Gandhi and the Congress were making me the Congress President, would I have refused?”He further alleged that a distorted narrative was created around his role in the leadership tussle.“The situation was so created, I think it was a big conspiracy. The observers arrived suddenly, and I got defamed,” he said.
‘Wrong perception created about me’, says Gehlot
Gehlot also said public perception about him continuing as chief minister while avoiding the top party post has stayed with him for years.“People think that Ashok Gehlot wanted to remain chief minister and did not want to become Congress President, so the revolt happened,” he said.“Even people close to me abroad, they also think the same that Ashok Gehlot wanted to remain chief minister, he orchestrated the revolt. How can I explain to them, I am explaining to you,” he added.
‘I went and apologised’: Gehlot on internal crisis
Recalling the 2022 Rajasthan political crisis, Gehlot said he had already tried to clarify his position before the party leadership.“I stayed quiet as I had to tell Soniaji that whether it was a revolt against Pilot or whatever, I don’t have anything (to do),” he said.He also referred to internal developments involving central observers sent by the party high command, including Ajay Maken and Kharge, who were tasked with resolving factional differences in Rajasthan.He added, “I was the leader of the legislative party, observers from AICC had come. Coming of AICC observers has significance. It was Kharge Sahab or Ajay Makenji and I couldn’t get the resolution passed.”
Recalling 2022 Rajasthan political crisis
The remarks come nearly four years after the 2022 Rajasthan Congress turmoil, when factional tensions between Gehlot and then-deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot escalated during the party’s leadership transition process.According to ANI, the crisis deepened after a Congress legislative party meeting failed to reach consensus, following which a section of MLAs aligned with Gehlot reportedly submitted resignations to the Speaker.Gehlot loyalists had reportedly refused to hold a one-to-one meeting with observers, while rival camps pushed competing proposals over leadership selection.Ajay Maken had said after the meeting that the situation involved conflict of interest concerns, noting that proposals from some MLAs raised questions about leadership control if Gehlot became Congress president.He had also said, “We waited for more MLAs to come but they didn’t come. Now Mallikarjun Kharge and I are going to Delhi to submit our report to the Congress president.”The crisis eventually contributed to the shelving of immediate leadership changes in Rajasthan, while the party moved ahead with organisational elections later that year.Gehlot, in his latest remarks, also reiterated that he had conveyed regrets to the party leadership after the internal turmoil.“Although I had said at night to end the meeting for now and we would talk after calling another meeting tomorrow. That situation did not arise for us… so it… so that… didn’t happen… the resolution couldn’t be passed. I went and expressed my regrets before Madam, party has given me everything, this situation arose so I am apologising…,” he said.Sonia Gandhi served as interim Congress president at the time before Mallikarjun Kharge defeated Shashi Tharoor in the party presidential election.Gehlot’s fresh remarks are expected to revive discussions within the Congress over the handling of the 2022 transition and the continuing impact of factional divides in Rajasthan politics.