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Who is Ashok Gehlot?
Who is Ashok Gehlot?
Ashok Gehlot, a senior member of the Indian National Congress (INC), presently serves as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Ashok Gehlot was born on May 3, 1951, and began his political career in Rajasthan in the 1970s as a student leader. He immediately rose through the ranks of the Congress party and turned into a prominent figure in state politics. In 1998, Gehlot was made the first Chief Minister of Rajasthan because of his dedication and political acumen.
Gehlot's second term as Chief Minister started in 2008 and went on until 2013. Known for his capacity to keep a soft balance between party politics and administration, Ashok Gehlot has also played a critical part within the Congress. He has been the party's trusted adviser and strategist, contributing to the state and national decision-making processes. Gehlot's experience and political skills have made him a significant asset for the party's leadership.
Personal life and Education
Gehlot is a science and law graduate. He likewise holds a MA degree in economics. He married Sunita Gehlot on 27 November 1977 and has two children. His son, politician Vaibhav Gehlot, contested for the Lok Sabha seat of Jodhpur in the 2019 elections and he also has a daughter named Sonia Gehlot.
He is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) party. He was influenced by the lessons of Mahatma Gandhi quite early in life and as a student, he actively participated in social political work.
Gehlot is a firm Gandhiite and he lived in Wardha to adopt Gandhi’s teachings into his life. He has made it a habit to eat before sunset and is a pure vegetarian who loves Satvik meals.
Political Career
Ashok Gehlot started his political career by serving in the refugee camps in the eastern states of India during the East Bengali refugees crisis in 1971. It was there when former PM Indira Gandhi initially recognized his organisational abilities during one of her visits to the refugee camps. Gehlot was then selected as the first State President of National Students' Union of India and effectively coordinated Congress' Student Wing in the state.
He contested his first election for Rajasthan Legislative Assembly in 1977 for Sardarpura constituency in 1977 and lost by a margin of 4426 votes to his nearest rival Madhav Singh of the Janata Party. At the point when the Congress party got back to power in 1991 he was selected as Union Minister again by then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. He was discharged from his duty in 1993 and moved towards his home state Rajasthan to oversee Congress political affairs. In 1998, Congress won by a huge margin, winning 153 out of 200 seats. Ashok Gehlot was for the first time appointed as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
In 2013, Gehlot was given the position of AICC General Secretary. He stayed at that position till 2018 and post 2018 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election, when Congress was back in control he was named as the Chief Minister for the third time despite being faced with a solid candidacy of the Sachin Pilot.
Political activities and achievements
• President of the Rajasthan NSUI in 1974.
• Elected President of City District Congress Committee, Jodhpur in 1979.
• Member of the Public Accounts Committee in 1980.
• Elected as General Secretary, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee in 1982.
• Union Deputy Minister, Department of Tourism in 1982.
• Union Deputy Minister for the Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation in 1983.
• Union Deputy Minister for the Department of Sports in 1984.
• Union Minister of State for the Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation in 1984.
• Elected as President of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee In 1985, 1994, and 1997.
• Minister, Department of Home, and PHED in 1989.
• Union Minister of State for the Department of Textiles in 1991.
• Elected to the Consultative Committee on Communication (Lok Sabha) in 1991.
• Elected to the Standing Committee on Railway (10th & 11th Lok Sabha) in 1991.
• Elected to the Consultative Committee on External Affairs (Lok Sabha) in 1996.
• Chief Minister of Rajasthan in 1998.
• Served as Chief Minister of Rajasthan in 2008-2013.
• General Secretary, All India Congress Committee in 2017.
• He assumed office as Chief Minister of Rajasthan on 17 December 2018.
Right to Health bill
In 2023, Gehlot's government brought the "Right to Health" bill, which aimed at giving free medical provisions to every resident of Rajasthan in each healthcare center in the state. The bill stated that each healthcare centre, whether public or private, situated in Rajasthan has to provide health facilities in crisis free of cost to patients in emergency situations.
The bill was condemned for not characterising the expression "emergency situation". However, Gehlot's government later put the provisions of the bill into action with a few modifications after the discussions with stakeholders. It was informed by government officials that the medical clinics with less than fifty beds were avoided from the requirement of the provisions and only those private hospitals working with the government’s assistance or subsidies should execute the provisions. Rajasthan became India's first state to implement the universal right to health through this bill.
Bharat Seva Sansthan
Bharat Seva Sansthan was established by Ashok Gehlot with a plan to deliver ambulance services and books freely through the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Book Bank. He is also the Chairman of the Rajiv Gandhi Study Circle, Delhi. This association works for the interest of students and teachers both at the university and college level.
Kamdhenu Pashu Bima Yojna
On 12 April 2023, Gehlot launched Kamdhenu Pashu Bima Yojna, an insurance plan for the milch animals for the resident cattle owners of Rajasthan. Under this plan, a farmer requires to have something like two milch animals and his annual income shouldn't surpass eight lakh for each annum for turning into a recipient. The government of Rajasthan likewise made this plan accessible to the farmers having over eight lacs as annual pay, however, in that case, they needed to pay a yearly premium of ₹200.
The provisions of this plan stipulate that the owner of cattle will receive an insurance claim for a sum equal to 40,000 for each deceased animal. The plan was made accessible to two animals for each family, taking total advantages to ₹ 80,000.
Controversies
In the Bhanwari Devi murder case 2011, Gehlot was charged for trying to hush up the matter by the Opposition and the kin of the victim. It was alleged that the Congress leaders tried to blackmail and force the victim into entering into a deal with Maderna. The case had given a severe blow to the Congress regime at the time.
In 2017, his name came among the politicians involved in the "paradise papers" under the investigation of the International Consortium of Investigative journalism. Although, there was no proof presented so he was later given the clean chit.
Gehlot was involved in the controversy in 2011 when Rajasthan government provided assets and contracts worth Rs 11,000 cr allegedly to the firms linking with his family members.
Net Worth
Ashok Gehlot has total assets of around 10 crore rupees. His main sources of earning are political compensation, agriculture and building rentals. He himself referenced this data in the affidavit he filed during the 2018 assembly elections.
According to the information given to the Election Commission in the year 2018, the total assets of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were Rs 6,53,70,312. According to the affidavit filed at that time, Ashok Gehlot had movable assets worth Rs 1,44,69,362 and immovable assets worth Rs 5,09,00,950. Ashok Gehlot had also claimed to have paid an income tax of Rs 18,56,828 every year.
At that time he had claimed that he did not have any big car or vehicle. His company Gehlot Sunlight Car Rental Services is run by his son, and his wife Sunita Gehlot is a housewife.