Rajasthan: Pilot's ‘Supporter’ or a ‘Set-Up’? Who is Rajendra Gudha – Gehlot Govt’s Sacked Minister?

Sacked Congress minister Rajendra Singh Gudha has alleged that he was “punched and dragged” from the Rajasthan Assembly today after he was trying to present a “red diary”, which he claimed contained the illegal financial transactions of chief minister Ashok Gehlot.

With Gudha overtaking the position of MLA Ved Prakash Solanki – an outspoken leader in the Sachin Pilot camp – to take on Gehlot, he is now an avid supporter of Pilot, thus having support of the Scheduled Castes and Gurjars.

Gudha has won twice (including the 2018 assembly elections) on the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket from the Udaipurwati constituency in Jhunjhunu.

Though Gudha and Gehlot have not always been enemies, in 2018-19, the CM inducted six BSP MLAs to his side and Gudha was the point person. Gudha would ensure that his other five colleagues would always stand by the Gehlot government. In turn, he ensured that his clout over his men remains for which he would give them perks and benefits.

Problem began when Gudha was made the minister of state for Sainik Kalyan and Panchayati Raj. His senior minister, Ramesh Meena, would not give him meaty work. In fact, files seldom came to Gudha, which would upset him. But the real blow came when Gehlot slowly broke Gudha’s hold over the BSP MLAs who preferred to side with the CM rather than Gudha.

That’s when Gudha realised “enough is enough” — he needed to speak up. Thus, he targeted CM Gehlot over the Manipur issue in the ongoing assembly session, and said the government should introspect rather than talk about the crimes against women in the state. The timing is an embarrassment to the leadership. Therefore, he was sacked on Friday.

Gudha claimed that he was “punched and dragged” out of the assembly on Monday while he was trying to present the “red diary”. Speaker CP Joshi adjourned the proceedings when he along with other BJP MLAs created ruckus in the House. “After CM Gehlot asked me, I got hold of a red diary from a site where ED and Income Tax (officials) were conducting the raids,” Gudha said on Monday.

Today’s episode has raised the Congress government’s suspicion against Gudha, which it believes is a “set-up” ahead of the assembly polls, considering the “red diary” reference has given ammunition to the Opposition BJP in the state.

With the fellow BSP MLAs deserting him, Gudha may contest either as an independent or from AIMIM for the forthcoming Rajasthan elections.