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Regular-article-logo Friday, 19 April 2024

Ashok Gehlot could become the first Congress casualty of Lok Sabha loss

Sources indicated that the high command had more or less made up its mind to remove the Rajasthan chief minister from the post

Sanjay K. Jha New Delhi Published 29.05.19, 01:05 AM
Both Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot visited Rahul Gandhi's residence on Tuesday but could not meet him.

Both Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot visited Rahul Gandhi's residence on Tuesday but could not meet him. Telegraph file photo

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot is likely to be the first casualty of the electoral ruin in the Congress.

Sources indicated on Tuesday that the high command had more or less made up its mind to remove Gehlot from the post. The disclosure came at a time the deadlock over Rahul Gandhi's refusal to take back his resignation offer is persisting in spite of a chorus in the Congress that he is irreplaceable.

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The Congress's performance in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were equally bad but Rajasthan is comparatively easier to handle for the high command as Sachin Pilot is a ready replacement.

But trouble is brewing for Kamal Nath, too, with three of his cabinet colleagues in Madhya Pradesh demanding that Jyotiraditya Scindia be made the chief minister.

Both Gehlot and Pilot visited Rahul's residence on Tuesday but could not meet him.

Sources said they discussed the state scenario with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Later, the sources said even senior leaders supporting Gehlot initially had given up and a change of guard was only 'a matter of time'.

The party knows persisting with Gehlot could be risky as uniting the two factions -- one is led by Pilot -- after such a result may be impossible.

Gehlot's position has become very weak as he had pulled past Pilot in the race to the top post in Rajasthan only by promising to wrest 20 seats from the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress won none.

His position has become untenable as almost every candidate from Rajasthan has complained to Rahul that Gehlot had not shown interest in their election.

It was alleged that Gehlot addressed around 100 meetings in his son's seat. Gehlot's aides countered the allegations on Tuesday night, saying the chief minister addressed 104 rallies and public meetings across Rajasthan and of these, only 11 were in Jodhpur.

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