Gehlot urges CM Bhajan Lal to embrace public accountability, reject nepotism

Jaipur, July 8 (IANS) Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has called upon Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to adopt public accountability and move away from nepotism.

Gehlot’s remarks came while he was speaking to the media after paying tribute to former state Congress president Dr Girija Vyas on her birth anniversary at the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters on Tuesday.

“I have sympathy for Chief Minister Sharma. Not everyone is as fortunate as him. It’s been one and a half years since he took office. Rule for five years, brother -- who’s stopping you? You suit us; Pandit Bhajan Lal suits everyone. Why would we oppose him? We want him to govern well. But he must know his responsibilities,” Gehlot said.

Stressing the need to abandon nepotistic practices, Gehlot added, “The kind of fortune Bhajan Lal has received is rare. He became both MLA and Chief Minister for the first time. Now, he must let go of nepotism. Since childhood, I’ve believed that public representatives are public property. If you become an MLA, MP, or CM, then you belong to the people -- anyone should be able to approach you.”

Gehlot also spoke about his rapport with Sharma. “I’ve met him twice. When I was unwell, he came to visit me. After he became CM, he met me again. He told me he has 20 years of party experience and knows workers across Rajasthan by name. I saw energy in him and was hopeful he’d perform well. It’s natural to take a few months to settle in -- but now it’s been one and a half years,” he said.

Taking aim at the BJP, Gehlot said, “They used to talk about conduct, character, and face -- but all three have now been exposed. Corruption is rampant, and public dissatisfaction is growing. The Chief Minister should discreetly commission an intelligence report on the real situation on the ground. If the opposition’s concerns are valid, action should follow. If not, it’s mere politics.”

He also warned of administrative decay, saying, “Governance can’t be run from Jaipur alone. You must visit the villages. Mafia elements are active, hooliganism is widespread, and grievance redressal systems have collapsed. The CM should demand a comprehensive IB report within 15 days -- identify which Collectors and SPs are conducting public hearings and field visits, and who are not. Act on that -- it will benefit the public.”

Gehlot’s tone was notably more conciliatory than that of Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara, who recently predicted that Bhajan Lal Sharma would not complete a full term, even though the BJP government might survive.

Interestingly, Gehlot had earlier claimed that a conspiracy was brewing within the BJP to remove Sharma. Responding to that, BJP state in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agarwal said, “In the BJP, the Chief Minister is chosen for a full five-year term; we do not change CMs frequently.”

--IANS

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