Ending the intense jockeying for power in Rajasthan, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday picked party veteran Ashok Gehlot as the new Chief Minister of the state and Sachin Pilot, who had put up a strong claim, as his deputy.
The formal announcement of Gandhi’s decision was made at a press conference at the party headquarters by K.C. Venugopal, observer for the legislature party leader’s election, after an over hour-long meeting between Gandhi and the two contenders, Gehlot and Pilot, at his residence.
Informed sources said Gandhi is said to have convinced Pilot to become Gehlot’s deputy as the party is keen to keep the Gujjar community, to which he belongs, on its side ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The Gujjars are a dominant community in Rajasthan.
“Gandhi has chosen Ashok Gehlot as the Chief Minister and Sachin Pilot will be the Deputy Chief Minister,” Venugopal announced here adding it will be a mix of experience and dynamism.
This is the third time the 72-year-old Gehlot will assume the reins of Rajasthan as Chief Minister while the 41-year-old Pilot, who won his maiden Assembly election, will be making a debut in the state. Venugopal said a delegation of leaders including Gehlot and Pilot would be meeting Governor Kalyan Singh to convey the decision of the party.
Meanwhile, the Congress is likely to announce the Chief Minister for Chhattisgarh on Saturday with the contenders to the post — state party chief Bhupesh Baghel and Ambikarpur MLA TS Singh Deo — meeting party President Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Friday.
“We had a meeting with Gandhi over the issue and a decision on who will be the Chief Minister will be taken on Saturday,” Deo told IANS after the meeting.