Rajasthan Congress observers meet Kharge, brief him on Legislature Party meeting

The CLP meeting was called to undertake several key discussions, like deciding on a new Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly and to discuss the reason for the party's loss in the 2023 assembly elections.

Jaipur: Following Congress’ defeat in the Rajasthan Assembly polls, party observers Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Mukul Wasnik and Madhusudan Mistry met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Sources from the party said that the meeting took place late at night on Tuesday. The three Rajasthan Congress observers briefed Kharge about the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Jaipur held on the same day.

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The CLP meeting was called to undertake several key discussions, like deciding on a new Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly and to discuss the reason for the party’s loss in the 2023 assembly elections.

The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government was dethroned by the BJP in Rajasthan as the assembly election results, declared on December 3, established a clear majority for the BJP in the state.

After submiting his resignation outgoing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the party would analyse the reasons for the loss “We did not leave any stone unturned and were fully prepared for the elections. We thought people would vote for us based on our current schemes but that did not happen. We will analyse this. I thought people would take revenge on PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the polarising remarks” Gehlot said.

His former Deputy and political rival Sachin Pilot said he would continue to work for the Congress party.
“I have always been dedicated towards my party and people, and in the coming days, I will work for the party strongly. And will also work for setting up accountability for the newly formed government,” said Sachin Pilot said.

But the rivalrly between Pilot and Gehlot once again came to the fore when Ashok gehlot’s former OSD claimed that during the Rajasthan political crisis when Sachin Pilot had rebelled his phones had been tapped.

Lokesh Sharma said, “During the political crisis in Rajasthan, when Sachin Pilot had gone to Manesar with 18 MLAs, it is natural that state government tracks the movement in such cases. So, the state government was keeping track of Sachin Pilot and the people he was meeting. Sachin Pilot was being monitored on where he was going, and who was he talking on to the phone so that corrective measures could be taken.”He further said that Congress was able to save its government due to the monitoring of Pilot.”It was because of the monitoring that we could bring some people back. He was also being chased and all his movements were tracked. I believe Sachin Pilot was aware of this and that he is being monitored,” Lokesh Sharma said.

This is bound to increase tensions between the two leaders even as the Congress is likely to name a new state President and a new leader of opposition.

In the Assembly elections in four states–Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh–the counting of which concluded on December 3, the BJP emerged victorious in majorities of the seats in the three North Indian states.

While in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the BJP defeated the incumbent Congress governments, in Madhya Pradesh, it defeated the anti-incumbency in retaining power. However, in the South Indian state of Telangana, the Congress saw consolation and emerged victorious, dethroning BRS’s decade-old rule.

In Rajasthan, the BJP won 115 seats out of 199, clearly ousting the incumbent Ashok Gehlot government. The Congress won 69 seats.