‘Who is SP?’ BJP’s question on ‘leaked’ photo of Ashok Gehlot’s notes

The BJP targetted the Congress over the reportedly leaked photo of Ashok Gehlot’s secret notes and said Congress needs to be united first.

As a photo of Ashok Gehlot’s ‘secret’ notes that he was apparently going through in his car on his way to meet Sonia Gandhi on Thursday got reportedly leaked, the BJP wanted to know who the ‘SP’ was — as mentioned in the note. The photo clicked by Malayala Manorama chief photographer J Suresh set tongues wagging that Gehlot was probably complaining against bete noire Sachin Pilot.

Sharing the screenshot of the photo which went viral on Friday, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted, “Who is the SP that Ashok Gehlot’s ‘leaked note’ (deliberately visible note) speaks of? Congress Jodo…Bharat to Juda hua hai ji.” Also Read | ‘Such a leader…’: Pilot supporters’ demand as Cong prez picks are revealed

Manorama claimed that it is easily understandable from the photo that Gehlot jotted down a few points ahead of his meeting with Sonia Gandhi. And the points include: Ashok Gehlot has the support of 102 MLAs as against 18 supporters of Sachin Pilot. “The BJP had tried to wean away MLAs offering 10 to 50 crore, the note revealed,” the report said.

The meeting between Gehlot and Sonia Gandhi took place on Thursday amid the Rajasthan crisis — before Gehlot announced that he would not be contesting in the Congress presidential election. Gehlot’s loyalist MLAs put up a rebellion on Sunday in an attempt to pressure the high command to not make Sachin Pilot the chief minister of Rajasthan in case Gehlot had to resign from the post to contest in the party election, according to the party’s one-person-one-post norm.

Gehlot’s withdrawal from the president race has not resolved the Rajasthan crisis as the Gehlot versus Pilot is going on in the state. After Gehlot’s meeting with Sonia Gandhi on Thursday, Sachin Pilot also visited 10 Janpath and said Sonia Gandhi will take “positive decisions” with regard to the state.

Gehlot on Friday said no post is important to him and extended support to Mallikarjun Kharge for the Congress president post. “For me, no post is important. The Congress in the country needs to be strengthened and every Indian is saying so,” Gehlot said.

“I have held several positions for the past 50 years with the blessings of the Gandhi family. Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have showered their blessings on me. For me, it is not the position that matters, but what matters is how to strengthen the party. I will make every effort towards it,” Gehlot said.

“If I leave any position now, there will be talks that Ashok Gehlot is running away when the Congress is in trouble,” Gehlot added.