“Apologised To Sonia Gandhi, Will Not Contest Congress Prez Polls”: Ashok Gehlot

Ashok Gehlot spoke to media persons and said that the party will decide whether he will serve as Chief Minister of Rajasthan or not

New Delhi: Congress presidential polls are scheduled to be held on October 17. Congress Leaders Shashi Tharoor and Digvijay Singh will be filing their nominations tomorrow. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot too was supposed to contest the elections. But after recent political developments in Rajasthan, he has decided to withdraw from this race.

In Congress, there has been a lot of debate about who will be the next CM of Rajasthan if Ashok Gehlot becomes Congress President, as the party will follow the ‘one person one post’ policy adapted in Udaipur declaration. Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s name was on the cards to become the next CM of Rajasthan but many MLAs were against him and this became a hurdle for him to get the opportunity to serve as CM.

In the wake of this political drama, Ashok Gehlot met Sonia Gandhi on Thursday.

After meeting Gandhi, he spoke to media persons and said that he has decided not to contest the presidential polls. He also stressed that the party will decide on whether he still serve as CM of Rajasthan or not.

Also Read: Digvijay Singh Joins Congress Presidential Polls Race, To File Nomination Tomorrow

Gehlot said, “Have always been a disciplined soldier of Congress.”

“I met Rahul Gandhi in Kochi and requested him to fight in the polls (for Congress President). When he didn’t accept, I said I’ll contest but now with that incident, I’ve decided not to contest the elections,” he said.

It was shocking for Gehlot to see MLAs backing him for skipping the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting and tendering their resignations to Assembly Speaker two days ago. He said, “it gave a message that all of it happened as I wanted to be CM.”

After meeting Sonia Gandhi he said, “It was my moral responsibility that the resolution should have been passed (in the CLP). So I have decided that I won’t contest (party president) election in these circumstances. It is my decision.”