Ashok Gehlot meeting Sonia Gandhi: Ending the suspense over his candidature, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said he won't run for the party's top post and added that he extended apologises to party high-command Sonia Gandhi for the indiscipline of his MLAs.
On Sunday MLAs supporting Gehlot defied the central observers and thwarted their move to hold a meeting of party legislators. Instead, they held a parallel meet to pitch for Gehlot's continuation or the guarantee that his bete noire Sachin Pilot does not replace him.
Addressing reporters after meeting Sonia Gandhi, which lasted for over an hour, Gehlot said, "Have always been a disciplined soldier of Congress. I had a conversation with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi. Whatever happened two days ago shocked us. It gave a message that all of it happened as I wanted to be CM. I apologised to her. One-line resolution is our tradition. Unfortunately, a situation arose that resolution wasn't passed. It was my moral responsibility, but despite being a CM I couldn't get the resolution passed."
"I won't contest these elections in this atmosphere, with moral responsibility," Gehlot added.
On being asked if he will remain Rajasthan CM, Gehlot said, "I won't decide that, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will decide that."
Gehlot's visit comes a day after the Congress issued show-cause notices to three of his loyalists--Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi, and Dharmendra Rathore--for their "grave indiscipline". The action came after 82 MLAs participated in a parallel meeting at Dhariwal's residence in Jaipur, laying down conditions to the party and did not attend the official legislature party meeting convened for passing a resolution authorising the Congress chief to appoint a successor to Gehlot.
