12th Chief Minister of Rajasthan, India

In office
13:December:2008:(2008-12-13):– 12:December:2013:(2013-12-12)GovernorShilendra *ar Singh
Prabha Rau
Shivraj Patil
Margaret AlvaPreceded byVasundhara RajeSucceeded byVasundhara RajeIn office
1:December:1998:(1998-12-01):– 8:December:2003:(2003-12-08)GovernorNavrang Lal Tibrewal
Anshuman Singh
Nirmal Chandra Jain
Kailashpati MishraPreceded byBhairon Singh ShekhawatSucceeded byVasundhara RajeMember of the Rajasthan Legislative *emblyIn*bent*umed office
1 December 1999Preceded byMan Singh DeoraCons*uencySardarpuraGeneral Secretary (Organisation) of
AICCIn office
December 2017:– January 2019Succeeded byK. C. VenugopalUnion Minister of State for Tourism and Civil AviationIn office
31 December 1984:– 26 September 1985Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi / Rajiv GandhiDeputy Union Minister for SportsIn office
7 February 1984:– 31 October 1984Prime MinisterIndira GandhiUnion Minister of State (Independent Charge) for TextilesIn office
21 June 1991:– 18 January 1993Prime MinisterP. V. Narasimha RaoMember of Parliament, Lok SabhaIn office
1991–1999Cons*uencyJodhpurIn office
1980–1989Cons*uencyJodhpurPersonal detailsBorn (1951-05-03) 3 May 1951 (age:71)
Jodhpur, Rajasthan, IndiaPolitical partyIndian National CongressSpouse(s)Sunita GehlotChildren2Residence(s)Resident of Daron Ka Bas, Mahamandir, JodhpurOccupationPolitician

Ashok Gehlot (born 3 May 1951) is an Indian politician serving as the current Chief Minister of Rajasthan. He held this position from December 1998 to 2003, and from 2008 to 2013, and again from 17 December 2018.

He is former Congress Party's national general secretary and in-charge of organisations and training from March 2018 to 23 January 2019. He represents Sardarpura cons*uency of Jodhpur as Member of Legislative *embly of Rajasthan.

Contents

• 1 Personal life
• 2 Political career
• 3 Positions held
  • 3.1 Other positions held
• 4 References
• 5 External links

Personal life

Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot with the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish *ar at the Chief Ministers’ Conference on Internal Security, in New Delhi on 16 April 2012.

Ashok Gehlot is the son of Babu Laxman Singh Gehlot a magician who used to travel around the country to show his magic tricks. Gehlot came from a humble family background with no connection in politics. He is a science and law graduate, he also holds an MA degree in economics. He is married to Sunita Gehlot and has a son and a daughter. His son Vaibhav Gehlot is a politician who contested in the Lok Sabha elections of 2019 from Jodhpur.

He is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) party. He was influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi at a very young age and was actively engaged in social political work even as a student. During the East Bengali refugees crisis in 1971, he served in the refugee camps in the eastern states of India. It is there when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi first identified his organizational skills during one of her visits to the refugee camps. Gehlot was later appointed the first State President of National Students' Union of India and successfully organised Congress's Student Wing in the state. Gehlot is a staunch Gandhiite and he lived in Wardha to adapt his lifestyle as a Gandhiite. He eats before sunset and is a pure vegetarian and enjoys Satvik Meals. He is also a teetotaler.

Political career

Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, launching the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), at Banswara, Rajasthan

He contested his first election for Rajasthan Legislative *embly in 1977 for Sardarpura cons*uency and lost by a margin of 4426 votes to his closest opponent Madhav Singh of the Janata Party. Gehlot had to sell his motorcycle to contest his first election.In 1980 he contested Lok Sabha election from Jodhpur and won by a margin of 52,519 votes. In 1984 he was appointed as the Union Minister. In 1989 he lost the election from Jodhpur.

When the Congress party returned to power in 1991 he was appointed as Union Minister again by then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. He was discharged from his duty in 1993 and headed towards his home state Rajasthan to manage Congress political affairs. In 1998, Congress won a landslide victory by winning 153 out of 200 seats. Ashok Gehlot was appointed as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan for the first time.

In 2003, Congress lost Rajasthan and won merely 56 seats. In 2008 Rajasthan Legislative *embly election Congress was short of a majority by 4 seats and Gehlot who was a well-known troubleshooter in Congress was appointed as the Chief Minister to prevent instability and thus he was sworn in for the second time as Chief Minister.

Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot meeting the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Jyotiraditya Scindia, in New Delhi on 8 January 2013.

In 2013, Congress suffered its worst-ever defeat by only winning 21 seats in 200 member *embly. Gehlot was then appointed as AICC General Secretary in 2013. He managed Congress National Affairs. He remained at the position till 2018 and after 2018 Rajasthan Legislative *embly election, when Congress returned to power he was appointed as the Chief Minister for the third time despite the strong candidacy of Sachin Pilot due to his role in the revival of Congress after its worst-ever defeat in Legislative Elections. Ashok Gehlot was appointed due to his experience in administration. He is also known as a tough administrator. Sachin Pilot was appointed as Deputy Chief Minister.

On 14 July 2020, Sachin Pilot was sacked from his Cabinet and PCC President of Rajasthan due to enmity between the ranks of the Congress Party in Rajasthan.

Positions held

Other positions held

References

External links

• Ashok Gehlot on Twitter
• Interview to rediff.com in 1999

• Longest-serving chief ministers
• Female chief ministers
• From the Bharatiya Janata Party
• From the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
• From the Indian National Congress

Category