Other States - Rajasthan   

Sonia's sacrifice enhanced nation's prestige: Gehlot

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, MAY 23. The former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, said here today that the Congress had emerged stronger after the decision by the party president, Sonia Gandhi, not to become the Prime Minister. The country's prestige too has been enhanced by her "sacrifice'' as well as by the choice of Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister, he said. On the other hand the Bharatiya Janata Party now stood "exposed of its pettiness and narrow minded thinking'' before the Indian public and before the world as well for opposing Ms.Gandhi taking over as Prime Minister. He alleged the complicity of the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, too in the tirade unleashed against Ms.Gandhi by the likes of Sushma Swarajs, Uma Bhartis and Govindacharyas.

"If Mr.Vajpayee wanted otherwise he could have intervened to stop these people. There is every reason to believe that the vociferous reaction from Ms.Swaraj and others was a part of the strategy by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar,'' he noted.

"The BJP, shocked out of its wits by the rejection by the people is still at a loss. The senior leaders of the party has not even congratulated the new Government led by Dr.Singh,'' he pointed out. "Mr.Vajpayee must be specially under trauma after losing the elections as he was misguided into to holding early polls to the Lok Sabha by the so- called wizkids like Pramod Mahajan. The argument that the party would be able to manage the whole of India as it could manage victories in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh Assemblies with manoeuvrings and manipulations misfired,'' Mr.Gehlot noted.

"The arrogance in the body language of the BJP leadership has evaporated as the people have given a befitting answer,'' he said.

Mr.Gehlot welcomed the fair representation given to Rajasthan in the Council of Ministers at the Centre. "I thank Dr.Singh for giving three ministerial berths, including two of Cabinet rank to Rajasthan despite the party's poor performance in the State,'' he said.

Mr.Gehlot expressed the hope that the new Government under the leadership of Dr.Singh would be able to solve the pressing problems of the country.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• Sonia's sacrifice enhanced nation's prestige: Gehlot
• Guidelines for drought relief works

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu