The saga of internal conflict in the Rajasthan Congress continues and comes to the fore time and again. This time the issue is political appointments made by CM Ashok Gehlot on Monday night. Around 20 of MP Sachin Pilot loyalist leaders have been appointed in various bodies as chairmen and members but many of them are annoyed and two have openly denied accepting the gift by CM Ashok Gehlot.
CM Ashok Gehlot had appointed 74 Congress leaders in various bodies of the state government on Monday night, out of these, seven have been given the responsibility of chairperson and vice-chairperson, while 67 have been made members of different Boards, commissions and corporations. Around 20 of them are from the Sachin Pilot faction. These were hoping to be appointed as chairpersons but have been made members.
Two of them, Rajesh Choudhary and Sushil Asopa who has been appointed as a member of the 20 Point Programme Implementation Committee and Barren land Development board respectively, have denied taking the post in open. Both the leaders were office-bearers in Pilot’s executive.
"I am thankful to the party but cannot accept the post for various reasons but I am always available for the party," Rajesh Choudhary said in a Tweet.
Whereas Sushil Asopa said, "I reject the political appointment given to me by the state government as my consent was not taken. I did not join Congress for posts and had left my government job 42 months before my retirement. I will continue to serve selflessly throughout my life."
The sources mention that besides these two, 4-5 other leaders were also not happy with what they got as they found the appointments are not of their status in the party. Such as Jyoti Khandelwal, who has been made a member of the Traders' Welfare Board was the mayor of Jaipur while the member of the Barren Land Development Board Ghanshyam Mehar, is an Ex-MLA.
"CM Gehlot has given prime posts to most of his loyalists in the first list of 58 appointments as most of them were made chairperson and vice-chairperson and now got the status of cabinet and state ministers, though the names from Pilot camp are more in the new list they have been made members who will have no status and powers," said an annoyed leader on anonymity.
The leaders added that the situation will create unrest among Pilot supporters and it is not good for the party.
