Rajasthan Assembly polls: CM Ashok Gehlot and his three musketeers

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today confirmed in a presser that tickets of all Sachin Pilot's supporters have been cleared, putting to rest the news of constant bickering between the two leaders.  

Sources say, however, there have been strong reactions to tickets for Gehlot’s close aides and loyalist ministers Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation chairman Dharmendra Rathore. Both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are said to have objected over their names at Delhi’s meet to draw up the list of candidates.

These three were instrumental in the submission of resignation letters to the Assembly speaker last year in September to put pressure on party high command to choose someone from the Gehlot camp as CM.

They were against Sachin Pilot taking over as chief minister. Sonia Gandhi was reportedly upset about their behaviour, although Gehlot insisted he had nothing to do with the developments. However, sources say the MLAs could not have been so defiant without Gehlot’s tacit support.

But his three loyalists held fort and the two observers from Delhi -Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken - had to return to Delhi without attending the Congress Legislature Party meeting.

Shanti Dhariwal

Shanti Dhariwal, 79, is known as Kota’s strongman. He has been a three-term MLA from Kota (North) and also an MP from Kota from 1984 to 1989. He is presently a Cabinet minister of Urban Development and Housing Department, Law and Legal Affairs and Legal Consultancy and Parliamentary Affairs.

He is said to have transformed Kota into a modern city. His father Rishab Chand Dhariwal, a practising lawyer, was also a Congressman and became industries and finance minister. 

Dhariwal, from an influential Jain family from Hadoti region, has always helped Gehlot in crisis, especially during the Sachin Pilot episode. He is a reliable ally of Gehlot and sat next to him in Vidhan Sabha after the Pilot episode, indicating his prominence.

Dhariwal is supposedly not interested in contesting this time and is instead asking for a ticket for his son Amit, who is the general secretary, Congress, Kota. 

Both Dhariwal and Amit were not given prominence and shoved around by Rahul's guards when he was in Kota for the Bharat Jodo Yatra. 

Political observers say Gehlot’s going against the high command in recent times is unusual but had the strong support of Dhariwal.

Mahesh Joshi

Mahesh Joshi, 69, is an MLA from Hawa Mahal constituency in Jaipur. He was also an MP from Jaipur in 2009. He was the chief whip of the Rajasthan Assembly. He is also the PHED and groundwater minister of Cabinet rank.

Again a close confidant of Gehlot, he has worked with the CM for over 25 years. While being an MP, he was known as Gehlot’s man in Delhi. He was also in the competition for Rajasthan Cricket Association’s top job, which ultimately did not materialise. 

Earlier he had a say in Jaipur’s mayoral candidates too.

Mahesh Joshi has been surrounded by controversies, the recent being his son Rohit being accused of rape. A 23-year-old woman accused Rohit of rape and threats. Besides, an abetment of suicide case is also pinned against the minister. 

With considerable clout in Jaipur, Joshi is reportedly one of the closest to Gehlot, and is a power centre unto himself in Jaipur. 

Dharmendra Rathore

Dharmedra Rathore, 55, is the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation chairman. He was eager for a ticket this time. He was earlier considered a non-entity and a lightweight. Rathore was also a leader of the Worker’s Union.

He has emerged as Gehlot’s right hand man and advises him on many issues. In 2022, Gehlot appointed 58 party members to various posts and boards. Rathore's investiture function was the only one Gehlot attended.

Earlier, he was the chairman of Rajasthan Seeds Corporation. He handled Gehlot's son Vaibhav’s election campaign in Jodhpur in 2019. He also played troubleshooter during Sachin Pilot’s rebellion in 2020.

His closeness to Gehlot can be gauged by the innumerable ED and Income Tax raid at his house.  

A former Congress minister Rajendra Gudha had alleged financial irregularities which were written in a red diary and found at Rathore’s home in July.

Gudha was sacked and later joined Shiv Sena.

However, Rathore claimed that he only uses the Gandhi diary and writes his daily routine in it. Gehlot earlier used to distribute Gandhi diary on new year.