"Internal politics goes on, we will resolve it": Ashok Gehlot on Rajasthan crisis

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot sought to play down the political crisis in the state for which three of his loyalists have been issued show cause notice by the party's central leadership and said, "internal politics goes on, we'll resolve it".

New Delhi :Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sought to play down the political crisis in the state for which three of his loyalists have been issued show cause notice by the party's central leadership and said, "internal politics goes on, we'll resolve it". Gehlot, who had emerged as the top contender for the post of Congress president, reached Delhi on Wednesday and is expected to meet interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday.

Talking to reporters, Gehlot said the party works under the Congress president and decisions will be taken in the time to come. He said Congress workers worry about the direction in which the country is heading and tackling the issue was more important. "Be it inflation, unemployment or dictatorial tendency in the country, Rahul Gandhi worries about it. All of us in Congress worry about the direction in which the country is heading. Tackling that is more important for us. Internal politics goes on, we'll resolve it," he said.

"We work under Congress president. Decisions will be taken as per that in the time to come. Media should recognise the issues of the country. Authors, journalists are being called anti-nationals and jailed. We worry for them and Rahul Gandhi is on Yatra for them," he added.

Gehlot reached Jodhpur House after his arrival in Delhi. The Congress had convened a meeting of party MLAs in Jaipur as part of the process to choose a successor to Gehlot but his loyalists held a "parallel meeting". Congress leaders Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge, who had gone to Rajasthan as observers, gave a written report to Sonia Gandhi.

With only a day left for filing nomination for Congress president elections and no form having been filled seemingly due to the Rajasthan crisis, senior party leader Digivjaya Singh has apparently decided to contest the polls. "I had no plans to come to Delhi, but because of this election, I am coming to Delhi," Singh has said.

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister is coming to Delhi on Wednesday night and may file the nominations for the president's post on Thursday. Singh has said that he has not talked to the Gandhi family members but he has decided to fight elections and file a nomination.

The name of Digvijaya Singh has made the battle interesting as G23 leader Shashi Tharoor is likely to file the nomination on Friday. Ashok Gehlot was considered a top contender in the polls but the crisis in Rajasthan, for which show cause notice has been sent to three of his loyalists, has caused some uncertainty about his candidature.

Gehlot and Tharoor were considered two prominent candidates for the post and the possible candidature of Digvijaya Singh has added a new twist to the battle. Digvijaya Singh has been involved in the planning of the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is led by Rahul Gandhi.

The yatra, which started from Kanyakumari, will end in Kashmir and cover a distance of over 3,500 km. Ashok Gehlot has been on target of leaders after the happenings in Jaipur where a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting had been scheduled as part of the process to decide his successor.

The suspense remains on Gehlot's nomination as several leaders are approaching Sonia Gandhi to reconsider his name. If Digvijay Singh emerges as a candidate, he would be the X factor in the polls. The nomination process for election to Congress next president will continue till September 30 and the election result will be declared on October 19. Earlier on Wednesday, Congress leader KC Venugopal said that there "is no drama" in the state and everything will be clear in a day or two about who will be the next chief minister.

"There is no drama in Rajasthan. Everything will be clear in a day or two. The media may see this as a drama but at least you are discussing the INC president election. You cannot discuss the presidential election of any other party in this country," he told ANI.

The Congress leader said that the party is carrying forward the election for the presidential poll in a "democratic manner". "Congress is doing it in a very democratic manner, it will end in two days smoothly," he said. (ANI)