No differences within Cong on grant of tickets for Rajasthan polls: Gehlot

New Delhi: Amid the delay in declaration of list of candidates for Rajasthan Assembly poll, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said that he wants to leave the state’s top post but the “post is not leaving him” and probably may not leave him in future.

Rajasthan polls would take place on November 25 and votes would be counted on December 3.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, he said that there would be something in him that the party high command had chosen him to lead the state thrice but any decision taken by the leadership going forward would be acceptable to all.

Gehlot also said that his bête noire and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje should not be punished by the BJP because of him, saying it would be “injustice” towards her. He was referring to his remarks on Raje when his Congress government was under threat following a rebellion in 2020.

Gehlot, whose government had faced a rebellion led by his former deputy Sachin Pilot in 2020, said that he has adopted the policy of “forgive and forget” and has moved on. Gehlot also asserted that he has not opposed granting any party tickets to Pilot’s supporters.

Taking strong objection to the raids by the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department against Opposition leaders, he sought the prime minister’s intervention to stop them immediately as the model code was in force.

He also urged the Election Commission to intervene in the matter since elections to five states had already been declared. Asked whether there were any differences within the party on the grant of party tickets, he said that there are no differences and all decisions are taken unanimously.

However, he did not answer when the party would declare its candidates as the BJP has already issued its first list of candidates for the Assembly elections in Rajasthan.

As per sources, the party leadership may not field Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation chairman Dharmendra Rathore – all are close confidants of CM

Ashok Gehlot.