Ashok Gehlot vying for son Vaibhav's victory in Jalore-Sirohi seat

Jodhpur: Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot is leaving no stone unturned for the victory of his son Vaibhav Gehlot who is contesting from Jalore-Sirohi Lok Sabha constituency in Rajasthan on a Congress ticket.

The party leaders from the two districts of Jalore and Sirohi, including former cabinet ministers, Ashok Gehlot's confidantes and members of his family have joined him in campaigning extensively for Vaibhav Gehlot.

Ashok Gehlot's son had lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections against Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from the Jodhpur constituency.

A party leader said since it is the question of the future of his son, Ashok Gehlot is not willing to take chances and has roped in almost every heavy weight from the party for his son's campaigning.

On the day of the filing of nominations, Ashok Gehlot's wife Sunita Gehlot also shared a seat on the stage along with Vaibhav Gehlot's wife and daughter. They found mention in Ashok Gehlot speech.

"We both are here. We have given our son to you. Now it is up to you... I want you to give him a chance," Ashok Gehlot said, while making an emotional appeal to the audience.

"I give you my word that his doors will remain open for you 24x7. You will not be disappointed. We will also set up a fully dedicated cell here to address the issues of the constituency," the former chief minister said.

Gehlot reminded the influential Rajput community of its association with the Congress while mentioning his roots as a "Mali" (gardener) caste.

"A 'mali's' work is to maintain the garden. I have always nurtured all the 36 qaums (communities)," he said.

In order to draw the support of the Rajput community for Vaibhav Gehlot, senior Gehlot brought the party's Jodhpur Lok Sabha candidate Karan Singh Uchiyarda along with him in the nomination rally.

According to party insiders, Uchiyarda, a Sachin Pilot loyalist, has been fielded in Jodhpur on the assumption that Vaibhav Gehlot will get support from the Rajput community.

Ashok Gehlot is also trying hard to quell rebellion by party leaders who have labelled Vaibhav Gehlot as an outsider.

Lal Singh Rathore, a Congress loyalist who had been claiming to be a party candidate from the Jalore-Sirohi constituency, filed his nominations as a BSP candidate after he was denied a Congress ticket. He protested against the party's decision to field Vaibhav Gehlot.

Rathore was finally convinced by Ashok Gehlot to withdraw his nominations on Monday, the last day for withdrawal of names.

Meanwhile, former ministers in the Ashok Gehlot cabinet, including Shanti Dhariwal, Raghu Sharma, Shale Mohammad and Sukhram Bishnoi, have been campaigning for Vaibhav Gehlot.

The former chief minister's confidantes such as Dharmendra Singh Rathore, Sanyam Lodha and leader of opposition Tika Ram Jully along with party's Sirohi in-charge Pukh Raj Parashar have been camping in the constituency, devising strategies and monitoring the campaigning.