Gehlot said he had given his resignation letter to the party high command when he became CM for the first time in 1998 and he will not take a minute to quit if the high command desires so.
“Sonia Gandhi has given me the chance to become the CM thrice. When I became the CM for the first time in 1998, I told her that my resignation will be permanently with the party high command.” The CM was speaking at the state-level conference of Rajasthan Rajaswa Seva Parishad on Saturday. He was referring to the recent meeting of former deputy CM Sachin Pilot with the party brass and rumours of leadership change in the state. Gehlot said becoming the CM for the third time proved that he is politically strong and not a lightweight.
Gehlot, however, said the weakening of the Congress is a concern for all. Even some mature leaders in the ruling BJP like Nitin Gadkari and right-thinking people in the country want the Congress to stay strong, he said. Comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the CM said during the consecutive four years of drought in the state in his first term, Vajpayee extended full cooperation. The central government granted 32 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, he said. The CM repeated his demand of that the Centre declare the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) as a national project since it would cater to drinking water and irrigation needs of 13 districts.
