No revolt against party high command in September 2022, says Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot

Former Chief Minister of Rajasthan and Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot. File | Photo credit: PTI

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot on Sunday (Jun 07, 2026) said he has not rebelled against the Congress high command in September 2022 to remain in the chief minister’s office.

Mr. Gehlot alleged that a “misperception” had been spread and there was a conspiracy to defame him. “They are repeatedly asking what happened on September 25, 2022. There can never be a revolt against the high command,” he said, adding that 100 MLAs were reacting to speculation about a change in leadership and Sachin Pilot’s swearing-in as chief minister.

In September 2022, the Congress high command planned a leadership change in Rajasthan, with Mr. Pilot being considered for the post of Chief Minister and Mr. Gehlot as the candidate for the Congress’s presidential polls later that year. The Congress Legislature Party meeting was scheduled for September 25 but could not be held as the party MLAs violated the High Command directive.

Mr. Gehlot said the MLAs were of the view that they had shown loyalty to the party high command and remained locked up in hotels to save the Congress government.

“They wanted any one of them to be made Chief Minister and they would have accepted it, but Mr Pilot was unacceptable to them as he was the one who took away his MLAs from Manesar. Mr Pilot should accept that truth,” Mr Gehlot said, referring to Mr Pilot’s failed 2020 rebellion against his government.

Mr. Pilot, who was then serving as Deputy Chief Minister and also president of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), rebelled against Mr. Gehlot’s leadership along with some of his loyal MLAs who were staying at a hotel in Haryana’s Manesar.

Amid questions over the timing of Mr Gehlot’s latest comments about the simmering leadership tussle, the former Rajasthan chief minister said he had adopted a “forget and forgive” approach.

“Human beings make mistakes and even I make mistakes. Even then I said forget and forgive. Today we (he and Mr Pilot) meet and share lighter moments,” Mr Gehlot said.

Published – 07 Jun 2026 22:45 IST