I follow forget and forgive, want to leave CM's post, but it's not leaving me: Gehlot

New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said that he follows the principle of forget and forgive, and hence wants to leave the state's top post, but it is not leaving him.

Gehlot's remarks came in the backdrop of a power tussle with his former deputy Sachin Pilot ahead of the Assembly elections.

Addressing a Press conference here at the party headquarters, Gehlot said, “I want to leave the Chief Minister’s post but it is not leaving me, and probably may not leave me in future too."

He said while responding to a question if he was the chief ministerial candidate.

The Congress leader also said that there would be something in him that the party high command had chosen him to lead the state thrice.

“Sonia Gandhi chose me for the chief ministerial candidate when she became the party chief for the first time. She chose me after looking at my performance. I was not the chief ministerial candidate but she selected me as the Chief Minister. When I lost the election and then I was again given the charge for the Chief Minister. And again when we lost in 2013 and won in 2018, I was chosen as the Chief Ministerial candidate,” he said.

“I want to leave the chief minister’s post but this post is not leaving me and it won't leave me,” he asserted. 

When asked about his differences with Pilot, Gehlot asserted that they are united. “I have said that we are united. When the people went with him (with Sachin Pilot in 2020) and yet their tickets are being cleared, what is more big example I can give. I have not opposed a single ticket. You can sense how much love we have for everyone,” he said.

Gehlot also said that any decision taken by the leadership going forward would be acceptable to all.

“There is only one criteria for the tickets and that is winnability for selection of Congress candidates," Gehlot said.

Gehlot’s government had faced a rebellion led by Pilot and his loyalists MLAs in 2020 thus bringing the Congress government to the brink of collapse.

Pilot and his loyalists had camped together at a hotel on the outskirts of Jaipur and then at a Jaisalmer hotel.

Gehlot said he has adopted the policy of "forgive and forget" and moved on.

Asked whether there were any differences within the party on the grant of party tickets, he said there are no differences and all decisions are taken unanimously.

Gehlot also strongly opposed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (I-T) raids against the Opposition leaders ahead of the Rajasthan Assembly election. He sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to stop the central agencies as the Model Code of Conduct was in force.

The polling for the 200-member assembly elections has been rescheduled to November 25 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 3.