Jaipur: Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has brought the word "ragdai" — struggle and hard work — back into the state's political vocabulary, telling a party colleague that leaders who reach a post without working their way up may not do the job well.
"Now you are going through ragdai, aren't you? I have been saying for years that if you reach a position without going through the struggle, you cannot do the job properly," Gehlot said, speaking to Congress leader C B Yadav.
The remark carries a history. In July 2019, during a rebellion by Sachin Pilot, Gehlot had used the same word about Pilot, triggering a major controversy within the party. Its revival has again set off discussion in Rajasthan's Congress circles, and drawn criticism on social media from rival factions.
Gehlot said aspiring leaders should work their way up through the National Students' Union of India, the Indian Youth Congress and the party, take part in protests and earn their tickets. He said he had gone through the same struggle.
The remarks came as Congress leaders staged a sit-in outside the Jaipur Police Commissionerate, demanding that a case be registered against a woman police constable accused of assaulting Ritu Barala during a protest in Delhi. Gehlot visited the commissionerate and spoke to NSUI national secretary Ritu Barala, Yadav and MLA Rafiq Khan.
Yadav told Gehlot that leaders were not getting tickets even after organising camps — the exchange that prompted the former chief minister's answer.
Factionalism is not new to the Rajasthan Congress, and the return of 'ragdai' underlines the tussle between senior and younger leaders. Grievances over ticket distribution have surfaced repeatedly within the party.