Ahead of Assembly Elections in Rajasthan, the state’s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday claimed BJP leader Vasundhara Raje and other two party leaders had helped him save his government during the 2020 revolt by his party MLAs.
According to the report in NDTV, Gehlot also said rebel Congress MLAs should return the money they had taken from the BJP so that they can carry out their duty without any pressure.
In 2020 Gehlot's then deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs had revolted against his leadership in July 2020.
The month-long crisis ended after the intervention of the party high command.
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Pilot was then removed as the deputy chief minister and state Congress president.
Gehlot as per the report said his government could be saved because of the support of three BJP leaders—former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal and MLA Shobharani Kushwah.
"(Union ministers) Amit Shah, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Dharmendra Pradhan conspired together to topple my government. They distributed money in Rajasthan and they are not taking the money back now. I am surprised why they are not demanding the money back from them (the MLAs)," he was quoted in the report as having said.
"I have even told the MLAs that whatever money they have taken, Rs 10 crore or Rs 20 crore, if you have spent anything, I will give that part or I will get it from AICC (All India Congress Committee)," he was quoted as having said.
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Gehlot alleged that if the MLAs did not return the money, they will always be under pressure from Amit Shah, it said.
"He is the Union home minister, he will intimidate...in Maharashtra he divided Shiv Sena," Gehlot alleged, as per the report.
He said that he was made the chief minister by the party for a third time and it was his duty to take all along and forget past happenings and ensure the return of the party to power in the assembly elections, slated for later this year, it mentioned.
Gehlot as per the report said he, as the state party chief, did not support the toppling of the BJP government led by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as it was unfair, in the same manner, Raje and Meghwal did not support the toppling of the Congress government in 2020.
Gehlot and Raje have often been accused by their detractors in their own parties of "going soft" on each other, especially when it came to allegations of corruption, it said.
“The two leaders have denied any such understanding. A few days ago, Raje had rejected allegations of collusion with Gehlot as lie, saying milk and lemon juice never mix,” it said.
