Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has made a statement claiming that he was able to survive a 2020 revolt by some Congress MLAs due to the refusal of BJP leaders Vasundhara Raje and Kailash Meghwal to support a conspiracy to topple an elected government through the use of money power.
Raje, a former chief minister of Rajasthan, however, said that “Gehlot’s ‘praises’ are a big conspiracy” against her and the Congress leader was speaking lies due to rebellion in his party.
Gehlot also took potshots at the rebel Congress MLAs on Sunday, saying they should return the money they had taken from the BJP so that they can carry out their duty without any pressure.
His then deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs had revolted against his leadership in July 2020. The month-long crisis ended after the intervention of the party high command. Pilot was then removed as the deputy chief minister and state Congress president.
Addressing a programme in Dholpur, Gehlot said as the state party chief, he did not support the toppling of the BJP government led by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as it was unfair. In the same manner, Raje and Meghwal said that there is no tradition in Rajasthan to topple an elected government, he claimed.
Meghwal is a former speaker of the state assembly and is currently an MLA.
