The map will change, if Ashok Gehlot Announces...: Rajasthan Congress MLA claims

Jaipur: A senior Congress leader in Rajasthan has asked chief minister Ashok Gehlot to promote young leadership to retain power in the next Assembly polls, while tussle between Gehlot and his young rival Sachin Pilot hog media in the state.

MLA Bharat Singh Kundanpur said on Wednesday if Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot publicly announces that he is not a contender for the CM post and will promote young leadership, the Congress will surely retain power in Rajasthan.

After meeting Congress in charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, the MLA told reporters that he has decided not to contest elections to give way to youths.

"If Gehlot ji openly calls a press conference and says that I want to see that the Congress government is repeated in Rajasthan and I am not a contender for the chief minister's post and I will promote the youth, the map will change...," the veteran MLA told reporters.

But "attachment (to chair) is more than the intoxication of alcohol", he said.

Kundanpur, who was a minister during the earlier term of the Gehlot government, represents Sangod constituency of Kota.

The MLA, who has been writing to the chief minister demanding action against mines minister Pramod Jain Bhaya over his alleged involvement in corruption, said he was not against or in support of anyone and was only speaking about what was right.

He was asked about former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot also raising the corruption issue.

"We are separate individuals. He does it his way, I do it my way," the MLA said.

He said it is in the Congress only that leaders can raise issues like him and are patiently heard by the party. "In the BJP, you will be thrown out for speaking," he alleged.

He said that Gehlot should encourage youths and his son to come forward.

He also said that when "a shopkeeper gets old", the next generation takes the front seat while the older one monitors.

"I say firmly what I feel is right. No matter how big and mighty someone is, it does not mean that he cannot make mistakes. People do make mistakes. Wise is the one who accepts after making a mistake. If he does not do so then it reflects ego," he said.

However, Randhawa on Wednesday asserted that winnability is the criterion for ticket distribution and there can be no cut-off age.

"We will give tickets to winnable candidates. If there are elderly in our home, do we throw them out saying that they have grown old so move out," he told reporters here while replying to queries.

On the MLA's remarks on the need for veteran leaders to give way to the youths, Randhawa said those who make such remarks should set an example.

He said that Kundanpur is a senior leader but he did not say such thing to him during the meeting with him today.

PTI with superficial edits