Gehlot denies leading 2022 Congress rebellion in Rajasthan

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has publicly rejected the long-standing narrative that he orchestrated a 2022 rebellion to avoid becoming Congress president and instead cling to his state post. Speaking to reporters in Jaipur on Sunday, Gehlot framed the events of September 2022 as an internal party dispute directed at fellow leader Sachin Pilot, not a revolt against the national leadership.

Gehlot asserted that he would never have refused the Congress presidency if formally offered by then-interim president Sonia Gandhi. He called the circumstances a conspiracy that damaged his reputation, leading many to believe he preferred to remain chief minister. The controversy stems from a planned leadership transition in 2022, when Gehlot was seen as a frontrunner for the national party president role and Pilot was considered his likely successor in Rajasthan.

The crisis erupted on September 25, 2022, when a Congress Legislature Party meeting was called in Jaipur to discuss the leadership change. According to Gehlot, approximately 90 to 100 MLAs loyal to him did not attend. Instead, they held a parallel meeting and submitted mass resignations to the assembly speaker. Gehlot...