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Rajasthan: Congress leader Harish Choudhary fires fresh salvo at CM Gehlot
Harish Choudhary alleged that there is a third party sponsored by Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot
Infighting in the Congress in Rajasthan has started resurfacing with former minister and MLA Harish Choudhary firing a fresh salvo at chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
Addressing a gathering at Chauhtan in Barmer on Thursday, Choudhary, who is also the Congress in-charge of Punjab said, “Besides the Congress and the BJP, there is this third party which is sponsored by CM Ashok Gehlot. I am saying this with honesty and with responsibility…that is a sponsored party of our honourable CM Ashok Gehlot.”
Choudhary didn’t name the third party but it is considered to be the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), led by Hanuman Beniwal. Choudhary and Beniwal, both Jat leaders, have been at loggerheads for long. Recently, Beniwal, also a member of Parliament from Nagaur, had lodged a case against Choudhary and others accusing them of attacking a vehicle in which he and Union minister Kailash Choudhary were travelling.
The RLP, which made its debut in 2018 assembly polls, has three MLAs and an MP. Beniwal, who had fielded 57 candidates in 2018, has spread his party’s base in western Rajasthan, including Barmer.
Choudhary further said, “Gehlot is from our party, and if he wants to help then it should be us and the Congress.”
The event was also attended by minister Hemaram Choudhary.
This is not the first time that Choudhary has trained his guns against Gehlot. Last month, he threatened to fight a battle on streets against his party’s government, if the anomalies in OBC reservation were not removed.
He also cornered Gehlot for using words such as Gaddar (traitor) for senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot, saying that the dignity of words should be maintained.
Reacting to his comments, Hanuman Beniwal said he is speaking for the person who is his political mentor from youth days. “They say that Gehlot is supporting a third party. It was us because of which the CM’s son lost the Lok Sabha polls; and it was us who cornered his ministers on issues,” he said.
There was no immediate response from Congress leaders.
