In Rajasthan, the Congress party has formed the government but its troubles are far from over. Earlier, the Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, were at loggerheads on the issue of allocation of portfolios and now former union minister CP Joshi has joined the gang of angry leaders; as he failed to get a seat in the cabinet. On Wednesday, Joshi supporters held an hour-long meeting and were given an ultimatum afterwards.
Joshi supporters caused major trouble for the Congress party by announcing that, if CP Joshi is not included in the state cabinet then the Congress party will suffer a lot in Mewar region of the state, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Along with this, many Congress office bearers, including Joshi supporters expressed their displeasure by writing a postcard to Rahul Gandhi. In the meantime, a viral message (veracity of which couldn’t be confirmed) in the social media, took the INC by storm. In this message, it is written that, CP Joshi is going to resign from the Congress party and with depart with one lakh workers. He may support the BJP with thirty Congress legislators which could result in the collapse of the Congress government in Rajasthan.
Dr. CP Joshi is a prominent leader of the Congress in Rajasthan, especially in Mewar region. He was the president of the Rajasthan Congress in the 2008 assembly elections and was one of the frontrunners for Chief Minister chair, but he lost the election with just one vote. After that he was elected as an MP from Bhilwara and was included as a minister in the Manmohan Singh cabinet in 2009. In the Rajasthan Assembly elections of 2018, he won from Nathdwara. There was a lot of enthusiasm among his supporters about Joshi getting a place in the state cabinet. But CP Joshi along with another stalwart Mahendrjit Singh Malviya was not included in the cabinet, thereby giving birth the theory that congress leaders supporting CP Joshi may resign from the party.
Signalling his discontent, Dr CP Joshi did not attend Ashok Gehlot’s swearing-in ceremony. PCC member Gunsagar Karnavat mentioned that the manner in which Mewar leader CP Joshi is being shadowed, the average Congress worker is angry with the party. He said that Lok Sabha elections are coming and the party may have to suffer in Mewar region of the state. Hari Singh Rathore, another Congress leader too expressed resentment on the issue.
Workers and Office-bearers of the INC from Mewar have written post cards to the INC president Rahul Gandhi, Rajasthan Congress President Sachin Pilot and state Congress In-charge Avinash Pandey asking them to give Joshi the respect he deserves. This postcard campaign includes members of District Congress Committee, all Block and Municipal Congress Committee, INTUC, Yuva Congress, Women Congress, Sevadal and NSUI.
Since Tuesday, the message of Joshi leaving the Congress party is going viral on social media. In this message, it is written that Dr. CP Joshi is resigning from Congress with one lakh workers. According to reports, the Congress party called it a mere rumor. This could be a rumor, but the manner in which Gehlot government has cornered the Mewar leader, CP Joshi; there is a lot of rage and resentment among the party workers. Even if the Congress party manages to save the government, it is going to suffer in the Mewar region of the state in the Lok Sabha elections.
