Did not violate norms by seeking votes for Kharge: Gehlot

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has said he did not violate the guidelines for Congress’s presidental election by seeking votes for one of the candidates, Mallikarjun Kharge.

“I am the proposer of Kharge. Some people created controversy that I campaigned in his support. If I had to campaign, I would have visited every state but I did not do that. But cannot I make an appeal for the person whose name I have proposed?” asked Gehlot on Sunday.

“Then what was the meaning of becoming a proposer…what I did was in the role of proposer…I did not violate the election process.” He added some people have tried to blow the issue out of proportion.

The Congress poll is being held on Monday and the results will be declared on Wednesday.

Geholt said the results will be good and there will be a new beginning. “Rahul Gandhi said that no person from his family will become the president. It takes courage to say that. Sonia Gandhi did not become the Prime Minister and made Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister…no one leaves even the sarpanch post. That is the human psychology. She left the Prime Minister’s post and Rahul left the [Congress] president’s post...”

He said the Congress has faith in Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. “...why do [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi and [Union home minister] Amit Shah have a problem?”

On Thursday, Gehlot appealed for votes for Kharge for the Congress to emerge stronger. About 414 delegates from Rajasthan are eligible to vote in the poll.