Rajasthan Sports Minister Ashok Chandna on Thursday expressed anger about the working style of the principal secretary to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and said that he wishes to step down from his post.

“I personally request the honourable chief minister to free me from this dishonourable ministerial post, and give the charge of my departments to [principal secretary to the chief minister] Shri Kuldeep Ranka, as he is the minister of all departments anyway,” he said on Twitter.

The statement came days before the Rajya Sabha elections for 57 seats, out of which four seats are in Rajasthan. The elections will be held on June 10.

Chandna expressed his anger against Ranka less than ten days after Dungarpur MLA Ganesh Ghoghra resigned from his post, alleging that he was being ignored, according to NDTV.

Ghoghra resigned just a day after he had a dispute with the Dungarpur district administration in connection with the distribution of land deeds at a government programme. He had alleged that the administration did not listen to him when he brought up problems of the residents of his constituency.

Meanwhile, Gehlot said that Chandna’s statement should not be taken seriously, NDTV reported.

“Ashok Chandna is a very good minister,” Gehlot told reporters. “He organised a very elaborate sports competition recently. He is facing a lot of responsibilities, maybe he is under some tension and said something. It should not be taken seriously.”

Gehlot said he would soon speak to Chandna regarding the tweet.

“I will speak to him soon and we will see,” the chief minister said. “I haven’t spoken to him yet so I don’t know.”

Meanwhile, commenting on Chandna’s statement, Bharatiya Janata Party’s state president Satish Poonia said: “The ship is sinking...The trends for 2023 have begun to arrive.”

The Rajasthan Assembly elections are slated to be held in late 2023.