Rahul Gandhi authorised to make changes in party, state govts in Cong's interest: Ashok Gehlot

Facing flak over the Congress' rout in the state, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday said party president Rahul Gandhi has been authorised by the working committee to decide whatever changes are required in the organisation or in states ruled by it and these will be binding on all.

In an interview to PTI, he said that in such challenging times for the party, no leader should hanker after any position and the only priority should be to revive the party by standing behind Rahul Gandhi, who has been asked to fix accountability for the losses.

Asked about certain reported remarks made by Rahul Gandhi at the CWC meet against him, he said they were "quoted out of context", but maintained that the Congress president "has all the right to make any remark he deemed fit, in party interest".

He did not give a direct answer when asked whether he would resign in the wake of the party's defeat in Rajasthan, where the Congress failed to open its account and his son was defeated from Jodhpur, barely five months after winning the assembly polls.

"Congress president has all the right on whatever changes he wants to initiate in the organisation or the governments, the working committee has left it to him," Gehlot said.

"For any leader in the country, priority should not be any position and the only priority should be how to revive and strengthen the Congress party and and how they can contribute," he said.

He said whatever the high command decides should be binding on all and "position should not be a priority for any leader".

There are reports that the Congress chief ticked him off at the CWC meeting on May 25 by noting that Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh chief ministers, besides former finance minister P Chidambaram, "kept their sons over the party's interests".

"The CWC has authorised Rahul Gandhiji to take decisions in party's interests, be it reorganising the party at all levels, or in state governments ruled by the party. He has been authorised to take decisions in the party's and country's interests. I hope these decisions will be taken soon," Gehlot also said.

On Rahul Gandhi's reported remarks, he said, "The comments are being quoted out of context, as the same were made in different context. But, the Congress president has all the right to comment on anything in party's interest."