No change in relations with Gandhi family after party polls: Ashok Gehlot

Jaipur: As voting in the Congress presidential polls got underway on Monday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, once a frontrunner for the post, said his relationship with the Gandhi family will be the "same for life".

"Even after October 19, my relation with the Gandhi family will remain the same as it has been for the last 50 years, I can say this with certainty," he said. Gehlot was at the PCC office to cast his vote. Counting will take place on October 19.

"Vinoba Bhave had once said that his relationship between with Gita Mata was beyond reason. I have the same relationship with the Gandhi family and it will be the same for life," Gehlot told reporters.

He was responding to questions on speculation around his relation with the Gandhi family in the wake of the presidential polls of the party.

Gehlot was a frontrunner for the post of the Congress president but political developments unfolded with the party's move to hold a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting at the chief minister's residence on September 25.

It was seen as an exercise to change the chief minister under the party's 'one man, one post' line ahead of its presidential polls.

The meeting, however, could not take place as Gehlot loyalist MLAs held a parallel meeting and handed their resignation to Speaker C P Joshi to protest against any move to make Sachin Pilot the chief minister.

Later, Gehlot apologised to Sonia Gandhi in Delhi for not being able to get a resolution passed in the CLP meeting and said he would not be contesting the party president election.

Folowing this, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge filed nomination papers for the party president election. Gehlot was among Kharge's proposers.

On the political situation in the state and the developments which took place recently over the implementation of Congress' 'one man, one post' line, Gehlot said Kharge would win the Congress president election and answer it.