Gehlot to Helm Rajasthan, Pilot to Be Deputy CM After Rahul Plays Peacekeeper

Pilot will also continue to head the Rajasthan Congress.

New Delhi: The power tussle within the Congress on whether Ashok Gehlot or Sachin Pilot would be appointed as Rajasthan chief minister came to an end on Friday with Gehlot being handed the reins of the state for the third time.

Pilot has agreed to become the deputy chief minister and will continue to head the Rajasthan Congress after party president Rahul Gandhi effectively played peacekeeper between the two factions.

It is being said that after two hectic days of negotiations, Gandhi worked out the arrangement between the two top Congress leaders of the state. As many as ten legislators seen as close to Pilot are also likely to get ministerial berths in Gehlot’s cabinet. This also paves the way for Pilot’s leadership in the future.

After the meeting, the Congress president tweeted a photo of the three with the caption, “The united colours of Rajasthan!”

Gandhi met the two leaders separately thrice since Thursday. There have been hectic discussions between top party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on the selection of chief ministers for Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Also read: Congress Looks All Set to Form Government in Rajasthan

Senior party leaders K.C. Venugopal, Avinash Pande and Jitendra Singh were also present during the meeting Friday.

In the recently held assembly election, ending the rule of the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government, the Congress emerged as the single-largest party in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly – just one seat short of the halfway mark. with 99 of the 199 seats that the counting was held for. The BJP picked up 73 seats and the BSP six.

Pilot and Gehlot won from Tonk and Sardarpura respectively.

“As far as who will become the chief minister is concerned, go to Rahul Gandhi because it is a decision that will be taken collectively,” said Gehlot had said after the Congress won the election.

Also read: What Brought the Fall of Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan?

Speaking to the media on December 12, Pilot had said the state’s newly-elected legislators have left it to Gandhi to choose the chief minister. And that the MLAs communicated this to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) representatives – Venugopal and Pandey – who had met them in Jaipur.

Raje resigned as chief minister on Tuesday, December 11.

Last year, when the 67-year-old Gehlot was brought to Delhi as the party’s general secretary and made in-charge of “organisation and training,” many believed the move had been made by Gandhi to clear the way for Pilot, who had then been given charge of the Rajasthan Congress.

However, when the campaign for the state elections kicked off, Gehlot was frequently seen in Rajasthan. In one instance, he ran into a controversy when he proclaimed himself as the chief ministerial candidate. “Aap hi ke saamne khada hai (He is standing in front of you),” he had told reporters when asked who would be the chief minister if the Congress wins.

But the AICC did not take too well to the statement as the party, unlike the BJP which had projected Vasundhara Raje as its face, had not declared a chief ministerial candidate.

(With inputs form PTI)