Up to Congress to decide CM candidate: Gehlot

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot today downplayed the controversy triggered by another party leader's suggestion that he should be the CM candidate in the upcoming assembly elections, saying that it was up to the party to take the decision.

He was reacting to a recent statement by party leader Lalchand Kataria wherein the latter demanded that Gehlot should be projected as the chief ministerial candidate to save the Congress in the state.

In a veiled attack on the BJP, he said the entire controversy was the ruling government's campaign run by a section of media.

"BJP's fascist face has been exposed in the country," Gehlot told reports at the party's state office here.

"There is no dispute here. In the Congress' tradition, party high command takes the call on the basis of what legislators and workers thinks," he said.

AICC general secretary and party affairs incharge for Rajasthan, Avinash Pande, yesterday warned Congressmen against making unwarranted statements ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.