‘Gandhis important for Congress unity, Rahul should be the chief’: Ashok Gehlot

Ahead of the Congress’s top body’s meeting on Sunday, Rajasthan chief minister and top party leader Ashok Gehlot said that the party lost Punjab “due to internal conflict” as he stressed – in the same breath – that the Gandhis are important for the party’s unity. Rahul Gandhi should lead the party as the president, he added. “In 2017, the Congress was united and we won (Punjab). After (Charanjit Singh) Channi became the chief minister, the environment was conducive too but it was our mistake that due to internal conflict we lost the assembly elections in Punjab,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

“Rahul Gandhi should become the party chief. For nearly three decades, nobody from the Gandhi family has become a prime minister or a minister. It is significant to understand that the Gandhi family is important for Congress’ unity,” the 70-year-old leader was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Hitting out at the rival BJP, he said: “the politics of polarisation is easier. The BJP propagated the Congress as a party for Muslims on social media. Our way is to maintain integrity and unity of the country. During polls, religion comes to forefront while issues of inflation and jobs take a back seat for the BJP.”