Chief Minister of Rajasthan
Ashok Gehlot's first tenure of Chief Ministership (1-12-1998 to 8-12-2003) was characterized by his supporters as successful for a system of "unprecedented drought management, power generation, infrastructure development, employment generation, industrial and tourism promotion, financial management and good governance". In the 2003, Rajasthan State Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) elections Gehlot's Congress Party lost the vote and Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the state President of the primary opposition party, the Bhartiya Janata Party, was sworn in as Chief Minister of the state.
A popular slogan for Gehlot has been "Save Water, Save Electricity, Educate All" "पानी बचाओ, बिजली बचाओ, सबको पढ़ाओ."
Ashok Gehlot was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan for his second non-consecutive term on 13 December 2008.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot is in the eye of a storm over allegations of favouring companies that employed the services of his son, Vaibhav Gehlot. The Gehlot government allegedly awarded contracts worth several crores of rupees to Om Metals and Triton Hotels, which had hired Vaibhav Gehlot as their legal consultant.
More charges of nepotism have been levied against Ashok Gehlot. It is said that he favoured the a real estate company Shouri Constructions, where his daughter Sonia Gehlot and her husband Gautam Ankhand are directors. Gautam Ankhand said, "We are staying there not because we are shareholders or directors, but because of our relations."
Gehlot allegedly allocated the contract to renovate the famous heritage area of Jal Mahal - an area worth rupees 2000 crores. Shourie Constructions was earlier part of the real estate giant Kalpataru group. What has raised many eyebrows is that a lease of 99 years at the rate of just rupees 2.5 crores per annum had been granted to Kalpataru for renovating 432 acres of the Jal Mahal complex.
Although Mr Gehlot denied this by saying ""The allegations are completely baseless and false. I am against nepotism, and I never extend any undue favour to my family members or others. Those who are close to me know this fact very well,"
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