India News | Chhattisgarh Minster Singh Deo Slams MLAs Loyal to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

Raipur, Sep 28 (PTI) Chhattisgarh minister TS Singh Deo on Wednesday slammed Congress MLAs loyal to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for indiscipline and "disobeying" the observers sent by the party high command, which was "inappropriate".

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He also wondered how a senior leader like Gehlot could not control the MLAs and such a situation surfaced.

“The way some ministers and MLAs (in Rajasthan) crossed every limit of discipline was inappropriate..It is not acceptable that they boycotted observers sent by the party high command and skipped the meeting (of Congress legislature party),” Singh Deo told reporters here.

The Congress unit in Rajasthan plunged into a crisis after 82 MLAs participated in a parallel meeting held at the Jaipur residence of a minister loyal to Gehlot laying down conditions for the party.

They did not attend the official legislature party meeting convened for passing a resolution authorising the Congress chief to appoint a successor to Gehlot, who was to contest the Congress presidential election.

“Instead of speaking before the media, they should present their opinion or whatever condition they wanted to put in the meeting of the legislature party. It has been the tradition of Congress that the final call on any issue is taken by the party's high command. We have seen that the opinion of every MLA is sought independently (by party observers) but they (rebel MLAs) wanted to supersede this process and meet in the group which is against the transparent and democratic system of the party,” said Singh Deo, who holds health and family welfare portfolios.

Singh Deo said he was surprised that such a situation surfaced despite the senior leader like Gehlot being there.

"It was his accountability (to keep them in order). He had been meeting the party's high command. Then how did the situation go out of control (in Rajasthan)? How did 92 MLAs reach the Speaker's house tendering their resignations and refusing to go before party observers? It is sad, surprising and unacceptable,” he said.

Queried if he doubted the ability of Gehlot, Singh Deo said, “such things come to mind when a person is in pain".

"We were seeing him (Gehlot) as the front runner for the post of the party president as a lot of discussions over its possibilities were going on. He served the prominent positions within the party.

"If someone is unable to keep his house in order, then the question will come to mind if, in Rajasthan, Gehlot ji is not able to deliver then what will happen to me (as a Congress leader). What will happen to my family (Congress) at the national level...If those who are supposed to deliver their responsibilities at that level fail, then who will suffer loss? It is the Congress party leader and workers and the party will suffer,” he said.

In July, Singh Deo, locked in a turf war with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, had resigned from the Panchayat and Rural Development department, hinting that he was sidelined in the government though he continued to hold the other four portfolios.

The development was seen as the fallout of an old political rivalry between Baghel and Singh Deo, who was seeking the chief minister's post under a purported power-sharing agreement.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)