Lost four times but did not lose heart
Ashok Gehlot is a leader who never gives up. Even if the Congress is successful in coming to power or not, Gehlot never gave up. Ashok Gehlot himself has lost elections four times but he never let his spirits down. In many public programs, Gehlot himself says that first he contested the election of the organization, then he was defeated by 4 votes. Later contested the election of the student union secretary and lost the election by about 400 votes. After the Emergency, in the year 1978, contested the MLA election for the first time from the Sardar city assembly seat of Jodhpur. But in this election also Gehlot lost by about four thousand (4329) votes. Ashok Gehlot had to face defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections as well.
Leader closest to Gandhi family
Even though Ashok Gehlot had to face defeat in the initial days of his political career, he did not let his spirits break. His ambitions were big. He knew that his destination was still far away. He kept working hard as a grassroots worker. Gehlot had joined the Gandhi family during the tenure of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Gehlot has a very close attachment to the Gandhi family. After the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Gehlot had a very close relationship with Rajiv Gandhi, then Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Won the election of MP 5 times and MLA 5 times
Despite his defeat in the 1978 assembly elections, the Gandhi family reposed faith in Ashok Gehlot and gave him a ticket from Jodhpur in the 1980 Lok Sabha elections. In this election Ashok Gehlot won by 52 thousand 519 votes. With this victory, the golden days of Gehlot’s political career began. Later Gehlot won the 1984, 1991, 1996 and 1998 Lok Sabha elections. While being an MP, Gehlot also got a chance to become a Union Minister three times.
Gehlot was elected CM without becoming an MLA
The Congress got a thumping majority in the 1998 Rajasthan assembly elections. During this, Gehlot was a Lok Sabha MP, but the Gandhi family sent Gehlot to Rajasthan and took over the chair of the Chief Minister. Gehlot had become the leader of the Legislature Party without becoming an MLA. In 1999, after taking the oath of the post of Chief Minister, by-elections were held on one assembly seat. Ashok Gehlot won the by-election after getting the resignation of a Congress MLA and became an MLA. Later, in the assembly elections of 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2018, Gehlot won the Sardar city assembly seat of Jodhpur continuously. After 1998, in the years 2008 and 2018, Gehlot got the chance to become the Chief Minister again.
Gehlot was not broken even by the defeat of his son.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Ashok Gehlot, was fielded from the Jodhpur seat. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was the candidate from BJP in front of Vaibhav. Due to the Modi wave, Vaibhav Gehlot had to face defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. Despite the defeat of his son, Gehlot did not get disheartened. They know that political journey is not easy for any leader. You have to face all kinds of goods, prices, punishments, distinctions. Presently Vaibhav Gehlot is the President of Rajasthan Cricket Association for the second time.
Report – Ramswaroop Lamrod, Jaipur