Congress Leaders Allege Ashok Gehlot Supporting Independent Barmer Candidate Ravindra Bhati, Here's The Proof They Give

Former vice-president of Rajasthan Youth Congress, Chetan Meghwal has alleged that former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is supporting an Independent candidate from the Barmer Lok Sabha constituency.

Meghwal posted on X that blinded by love for his son Vaibhav, Gehlot is in contact with and is connected with the Independent candidate Ravindra Singh Bhati. He used the hashtag #GaddarGehlot (betrayer Gehlot).

Expressing support for the Congress candidate from Barmer, Ummeda Ram Beniwal, Meghwal said that the people of Thar have foiled Gehlot's attempts but Gehlot needs to give an answer.

He attached pictures of cars used by Bhati for his campaign and a letter written by Barmer's District Election Officer to the Station Commander of Uttarlai's Air Force Station, which had the same vehicle numbers.

The letter is about permission granted to two vehicles -- RJ14 UK 2992 Ford Endeavour and RJ04 UA 7057 Scorpio -- to enter Air Force Station for Ashok Gehlot's programme scheduled for 21 April.

There are two other pictures showing Ravindra Singh Bhati using the same vehicles. Meghwal urged the Rajasthan Congress in charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa to take action against Gehlot.

The issue was then raised by Gehlot's former OSD Lokesh Sharma who said, "If the news circulating on social media is true, then Rajasthan Lok Sabha Election Campaign Committee Chairman Ashok Gehlot should be expelled from the Congress Party with immediate effect."

Notably, last week also Sharma had leveled accusations against Gehlot and alleged that Gehlot had handed him audio clips of cabinet ministers to be released to the media.

The allegations of Gehlot's support to Bhati come at a time when people on social media were speculating about who was supporting Bhati over the immense popularity that he gained in a short period of time.

The BJP has fielded its incumbent Barmer MP Kailash Choudhary for the Lok Sabha elections from here. Gehlot's son Vaibhav is contesting from Jalore against BJP's Lumbaram Choudhary.