In September 2022, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot convened a late-night meeting of Congress MLAs in Jaipur as he prepared to file his nomination for Congress president. Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said MLAs would go to Delhi if he filed. Gehlot later withdrew, and Mallikarjun Kharge won the contest on 19 October 2022.
- What happened at Gehlot's late-night meeting
- Quick facts: Congress president election 2022
- The race before Gehlot's nomination plan
- The Rajasthan revolt of 25 September 2022
- Why Gehlot withdrew from the Congress president race
- Result: Kharge beats Tharoor
- What happened next in Rajasthan
- Frequently asked questions
What happened at Gehlot’s late-night meeting
On the night of Tuesday, 20 September 2022, Gehlot held an informal meeting of the Congress Legislature Party in Jaipur at about 10 pm. Party MLAs who had attended a dinner for Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar were asked to stay back.
After the meeting, State Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas told reporters that Gehlot had said MLAs would be called to New Delhi if he filed his nomination. Gehlot was then expected to meet Sonia Gandhi and travel to Kerala to urge Rahul Gandhi to contest, and to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
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Sachin Pilot, Gehlot’s long-time rival in the state unit, did not attend. Gehlot had been unclear about the party post, partly because taking it could mean giving up the chief minister’s chair.
Quick facts: Congress president election 2022
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Election schedule announced | 28 August 2022 |
| Gehlot’s late-night CLP meeting in Jaipur | 20 September 2022 |
| Nominations open | 24 September 2022 |
| Rajasthan MLAs’ revolt in Jaipur | 25 September 2022 |
| Gehlot says he will not contest | 29 September 2022 |
| Last date to file nominations | 30 September 2022 |
| Polling | 17 October 2022 |
| Counting and result | 19 October 2022 |
| Kharge takes charge | 26 October 2022 |
The race before Gehlot’s nomination plan
Around the same time, Shashi Tharoor met Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Sources quoted in reports at the time said Sonia assured him the Gandhi family would remain neutral in any contest.
Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said anyone could contest and that the election would be open and transparent. Several state Congress committees had passed resolutions asking Rahul Gandhi to return as party chief, while communications head Jairam Ramesh said the party had not asked for such resolutions.
The Rajasthan revolt of 25 September 2022
The plan to make Gehlot party president raised a bigger question: who would replace him as chief minister. On 25 September, a Congress Legislature Party meeting in Jaipur, meant to let the party chief choose Gehlot’s successor, ended without result.
Gehlot loyalists instead met at minister Shanti Dhariwal’s residence. They claimed that over 90 MLAs had submitted resignations, and the letters were taken to Speaker C.P. Joshi’s home. The number was not independently verified. Congress then held 108 of the 200 seats in the Assembly.
Party observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken tried late into the night to meet the MLAs. The loyalists wanted the choice of the next chief minister to wait until after the national party election, a say for Gehlot in the pick, and a successor who had stood with Gehlot during the 2020 rebellion by Pilot’s camp. The party later issued show-cause notices to three Gehlot loyalists for indiscipline.
Why Gehlot withdrew from the Congress president race
On 29 September 2022, Gehlot met Sonia Gandhi for about an hour in Delhi. He then announced he would not contest. He said he had apologised to her for the revolt by Rajasthan MLAs and that the high command would decide what came next.
On the last day of filing, 30 September, Mallikarjun Kharge filed his nomination. Digvijaya Singh, who had announced he would run, pulled out and backed Kharge. Gehlot also backed Kharge. Shashi Tharoor and K.N. Tripathi filed too, but Tripathi’s nomination was rejected at scrutiny on 1 October.
Result: Kharge beats Tharoor
Polling took place on 17 October and votes were counted on 19 October 2022. Kharge received 7,897 votes and Tharoor received 1,072. Tharoor’s team raised complaints about irregularities, which the party’s Central Election Authority, chaired by Madhusudan Mistry, dismissed as general and without specifics. Tharoor conceded.
Kharge took charge as Congress president on 26 October 2022 and continues in the post. He also serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
What happened next in Rajasthan
Gehlot stayed on as chief minister and completed his term. His third term ran from 17 December 2018 to 15 December 2023.
In the Assembly election held on 25 November 2023, with results on 3 December 2023, the BJP won 115 seats and Congress won 70. Bhajan Lal Sharma of the BJP became chief minister. Gehlot retained his Sardarpura seat and Pilot retained Tonk.
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Frequently asked questions
Why did Ashok Gehlot call a late-night meeting in September 2022?
He called Congress MLAs together in Jaipur on 20 September 2022 as he prepared to contest the Congress president election. A minister said MLAs would go to Delhi if he filed.
Did Ashok Gehlot file his nomination for Congress president?
No. After the 25 September revolt by his loyalist MLAs, he met Sonia Gandhi on 29 September, apologised and announced he would not contest.
Who won the 2022 Congress president election?
Mallikarjun Kharge won with 7,897 votes against Shashi Tharoor’s 1,072. He took charge on 26 October 2022.
Who is the chief minister of Rajasthan now?
Bhajan Lal Sharma of the BJP became chief minister after the BJP won the December 2023 Assembly election.
Sources: 2022 Congress presidential election, Wikipedia, The Week (PTI), 26 September 2022, The Quint, 29 September 2022, 2023 Rajasthan election, Wikipedia.
