Maken ends Rajasthan go to, Gehlot says he’s guardian of Cong MLAs

Amidst the chatter about an impending growth of the Cabinet in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has underlined that he stays the “guardian” of the Congress MLAs, and would proceed to meet that function.
Gehlot mentioned this at a casual dinner on the chief minister’s residence attended by the visiting Congress in-charge for Rajasthan Ajay Maken on Thursday, senior leaders of the social gathering mentioned. Maken has been chatting with leaders and MLAs of the faction-ridden social gathering within the state.
“The Chief Minister had said this last year too, when all the MLAs were staying at a hotel in Jaisalmer, and he reiterated it again yesterday that he is our guardian and he is here to stay,” Congress MLA Mahesh Joshi, the social gathering’s chief whip within the Assembly, instructed The Indian Express on Friday.

Congress sources mentioned Gehlot additionally spoke about forgiving and forgetting — one thing he had mentioned on the finish of the political disaster final 12 months as effectively.
The disaster within the social gathering and authorities had been triggered by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs loyal to him tenting in Haryana and Delhi for a month, resulting in uncertainty and questions concerning the stability of Gehlot’s authorities.
MLAs loyal to the Gehlot faction have been likewise taken to a lodge in Jaisalmer to pre-empt any attainable switching of sides. The disaster had in the end handed after Pilot backed down, however the faultlines within the social gathering have endured.
At the tip of his three-day go to to the state throughout which he took suggestions from social gathering MLAs, AICC common secretary Maken mentioned on Friday that some ministers have been able to step down from their posts and work for the social gathering organisation — an obvious reference to the upcoming cabinet growth.
“I am very happy that I found many MLAs and people holding positions who said that they were ready to leave government posts and help in strengthening the organisation. They said that if needed, they were ready to leave their posts as ministers and work for the organisation… I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart,” Maken mentioned.
The Assembly elections of 2023, and the way the Congress may retain energy, had been mentioned within the conferences with the MLAs, he mentioned.

“In the last three days, I have spoken with all MLAs of the Congress, and those who support the party. I have spoken with 115 MLAs, and have also discussed matters with the chief minister, the state Congress president, and Sachin Pilot ji in Delhi along with (senior leader) C P Joshi ji. We discussed how we can bring back the Congress party to power in 2023,” Maken instructed reporters on Friday.
He mentioned discussions on the cabinet growth, political appointments, and structure of district committees have been ongoing, and appointments can be made quickly.