The Congress party on Thursday served a notice to Prithviraj Meena, MLA from Todabhim in Rajasthan, for his remarks against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot after a disastrous show in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.
Congress MLA who spoke against Ashok Gehlot has been served a notice.
Details by Arvind Singh. pic.twitter.com/o8qaxwlxXS
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 6, 2019
Earlier on Wednesday, Meena had suggested that Gehlot should bear the responsibility of the party’s humiliating performance in the state. He had also proposed that Gehlot be replaced by his deputy Sachin Pilot as the CM of the state.
The Congress party has asked its MLAs to abstain from making any statements in the media or social media that can “hurt the party’s dignity”. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera confirmed the concerned MLA, who had raised the issue of CM Gehlot’s resignation, has been served a notice by the Rajasthan Congress unit in-charge Avinash Pande. He added further that an advisory has also been issued to others to refrain from making tendentious remarks.
Congress failed to open its account in Rajasthan in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Even CM Gehlot’s son Vaibhav lost from Jodhpur constituency. Instead of accepting the responsibility for the poll debacle, Gehlot had passed the buck to Pilot for his son’s debacle.
Gehlot seems to have been deeply hurt by losing Jodhpur, which has traditionally been touted as a Congress bastion. Gehlot had earlier blamed Pilot since he was the Congress state in-charge of Rajasthan for the elections.
“Sachin had claimed that Jodhpur will be won by a big margin. It has been a Congress stronghold since a very long time. I think he should take the responsibility of the loss, at least of the Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat,” Gehlot said.
Ever since the election defeat, the rift between Pilot faction and Gehlot faction has intensified. Each group is seen blaming the other for the ignominious defeat. Leaders like Udai Lal Anjana had even questioned the candidature of Vaibhav from Jodhpur constituency.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi had also pulled up Gehlot for neglecting the campaigning of the party in the state to concentrate on his son’s campaign in Jodhpur.