Gandhinagar: Gujarat polls are likely to be held in upcoming December, and there are  chances that it might be held in the latter portion of November itself. However, while the election is so closer, the main opposition Congress is facing a new trouble.

On July 12 this year, party president Sonia Gandhi had appointed Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as senior observer for Gujarat polls, and later Gehlot had paid visit to Gujarat and took over the control of election related affairs, but now Gehlot himself is sulking with party leadership amid lot of turmoil in party’s Rajasthan unit. While Gehlot is busy with Rajasthan affairs and his equation with party’s central leadership has soured recently, the leaders of Gujarat Congress are awaiting party leadership’s next move and end of present uncertainty.  Obviously, the election related process including the process of choosing candidates, gearing up the campaign and other matters are stalled for now. This is because the State party incharge Raghu Sharma is also Gehlot loyalist MLA from Rajasthan and he is also busy with ongoing Rajasthan Congress affairs. 

Congress’s high command had appointed Ashok Gehlot as a senior observer of Gujarat Congress in July this year, while his close aide Raghu Sharma was appointed as State in-charge of party for the upcoming Gujarat Elections as early as in October 2021. However, recent revolt by the MLAs loyal to Gehlot in Rajasthan has impacted the affairs of Gujarat Congress.  Rajasthan is going through political turmoil as congress’s high command wants Sachin Pilot as the new CM of state after Gehlot decided to fight for Elections for the post of National President of INC with consent of party chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi. In latest, Gehlot is reportedly out of the race to become party chief, as after this rebellion, it is possible that the Congress’s high command does not want to see Ashok Gehlot contesting for the role of party’s national president. 

With the new political developments in Rajasthan, the State Congress unit in Gujarat is going through a period of uncertainty, because in the backdrop of Rajasthan situation, the future role of Ashok Gehlot in Gujarat is in doubt at the moment. Gehlot had led Gujarat Congress affairs in year 2017 State assembly election as well. However Gehlot this year after his appointment as Gujarat Congress senior incharge has not been as active as he was in 2017. Several visits of Gehlot to Gujarat were postponed after his appointment this year. He skipped scheduled functions of Gujarat Congress in Rajkot and Surat in the mid of August due to “bad weather”.  The function had taken place in his absence then. His visits after that were sparse. 

Gujarat Congress has faced troubles regarding the State party incharges appointed by the central leadership in recent years. Party’s previous incharge Rajiv Satav after prolong illness passed away in May 2021.  Prior to that State party unit’s de facto incharge Ahmed Patel passed away in November 2020.  In the past too, State party incharge Gurudas Kamat had started sulking against party leadership in connection with his home-state Maharashtra related political affairs and resigned in June 2016.  In April 2017 Kamat resigned for third time as Gujarat Congress incharge, after which Ashol Gehlot stepped in to fill the post. Kamat later in August 2018 passed away due to cardiac arrest.

Meanwhile, Manish Doshi, Stockperson of the Gujarat Congress said, “What is happening in Rajasthan is unfortunate but they will not affect Gujarat Elections. We are working hard and preparing for the elections under the guidance of State party Incharge and observer.”

DeshGujarat