Amid the high-voltage political drama in Madhya Pradesh where the Congress suffered a massive setback after Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the party to join the BJP camp, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched a scathing attack on the young leader, accusing him of betraying both ideology and trust of people.
Gehlot took to Twitter on Tuesday soon after Scindia announced his resignation and said: “Joining hands with BJP in a time of national crisis speaks volumes about a leaders self-indulgent political ambitions. Especially when the BJP ruining the economy, democratic institutions, social fabric and as well the Judiciary.”
In another tweet, Gehlot said: “Mr Scindia has betrayed the trust of the people as well as the ideology. Such people proves they can’t thrive without power. Sooner they leave the better.”
Scindia quit the Congress on Tuesday morning following a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. At least 22 Congress MLAs, many of whom loyal to him, have also resigned, reducing the ruling Congress in the state to a minority and leaving the Kamal Nath government on the verge of collapse.
While the Congress, which was voted to power in the state after 15 years in 2018, has 114 MLAs, the BJP has 107 legislators in the 230-member assembly. Four Independent MLAs, two lawmakers of the Bahujan Samaj Party and one Samajwadi Party legislator are supporting the Congress-led government.
Despite Gehlot's rant against Scindia, the latest political developments in his own state doesn't seem rosy to him and the Congress. Reports said party chief Sonia Gandhi had summoned Gehlot to Delhi after Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot allegedly disagreed to nominate a member from the influential Arora family for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
Pilot, a young and ambitious leader like Scindia, had raised voices of revolt after he was denied the chief minister post after Congress's victory in the assembly elections in December 2018. He was convinced after the intervention of Rahul Gandhi and offered the deputy CM post.
Like Pilot, Scindia too had the ambitions for chief minister's post. However, unlike Pilot, Scindia refused to be content with the deputy CM post.
In Rajasthan, ever since the government formation, Pilot has not been on good terms with Gehlot and was critical on many issues, including the death of children in Kota government hospital. The power tussle between the two leaders resulted in the Congress failing to win even a single seat in the Lok Sabha polls. Drubbing in the LS polls prompted the Pilot's camp to further step up their attack on Gehlot and question his leadership credentials.
In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has the support of 112 MLAs including three from the CPI(M) and one from the RLD. The BJP has 80 MLAs.
In the event of the saffron party going to the Madhya Pradesh model in Rajasthan, the Gehlot government would be in real danger.