Rajasthan Minister Mahesh Joshi’s resignation connected with CLP meet episode

Mr. Joshi was one of the three Congress leaders who were given showcause notices by the party high command

The resignation of Rajasthan Minister Mahesh Joshi, a close aide of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, as Chief Whip of the ruling Congress in the Assembly is set to create a political upheaval here, as it is connected with the September 25, 2022 meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP), which was boycotted by 81 MLAs. Mr. Gehlot accepted Mr. Joshi’s resignation on Friday.

Mr. Joshi had tendered his resignation before the commencement of the Assembly’s Budget Session on January 23. After ceasing to be the Chief Whip, he will continue as a Cabinet Minister holding the portfolio of Public Health Engineering.

Mr. Joshi was one of the three Congress leaders who were given showcause notices by the party high command for holding a parallel gathering of MLAs after boycotting the CLP meeting. His resignation and its acceptance have been perceived as a “disciplinary action” on the insistence of former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot.

Earlier this week, Mr. Pilot had expressed his displeasure on the inordinate delay by the leadership in taking action against Mr. Joshi, Urban Development Minister Shanti Dhariwal and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation chairman Dharmendra Rathore, who had received the notices. The CLP meeting was called for passing a one-line resolution to authorise the Congress president to appoint a new leader in the State.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who was in Jaipur on Saturday, told reporters that Mr. Joshi’s resignation was related to the CLP episode as well as the party’s one person-one post principle. He said the matter pertained to a period prior to his appointment.

“I will not send any report about this matter, but if the high command asks me to take any [further] action, I will do so with immediate effect... I have done what the high command asked me to do,” Mr. Randhawa said on being asked about the possibility for any further disciplinary action.

Mr. Joshi later hinted that he expected action against those who had tried to weaken the party and worked against the interests of the State government, so that a “message of equality” went to all the party workers. “I am happy that the action [on showcause notice] has been taken and my wish [of resignation] has also been fulfilled,” he said.