Gandhi will shortly meet AICC observers from Rajasthan and MP. Priyanka Gandhi at brother’s residence to 'advise on CM picks'13 Dec 2018 | 12:36 PMNEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will meet party’s chief minister hopefuls in the capital on Thursday amid severe friction in Rajasthan and a smooth run in Madhya Pradesh. Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot is fighting for his claim despite Ashok Gehlot, former chief minister, leading the race.
[ + read story ] Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 13
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will meet party’s chief minister hopefuls in the capital on Thursday amid severe friction in Rajasthan and a smooth run in Madhya Pradesh.
Sources have told The Tribune that while Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia has reconciled to his senior colleague and nine-time Lok Sabha MP Kamal Nath being the chief minister in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot is fighting for his claim despite Ashok Gehlot, former chief minister, leading the race.
The face off is the first test of Gandhi’s leadership.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi was at Rahul Gandhi’s residence reportedly "to advise brother on the chief minister picks" in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Gandhi will shortly meet AICC observers from Rajasthan and MP — KC Venugopal and AK Antony to take the call on the chief minister names in the states.
In Chhattisgarh, the AICC observer Mallikarjun Kharge will be meeting Gandhi to finalise the chief minister candidate.
On Wednesday, Gandhi sent a recorded message to party workers in the three states to get workers’ opinion on who the chief minister should be. He used the party’s internal application Shakti for the move and asked workers to name their candidate. This development is being seen as strange in Congress circles since the race for chief minister is normally limited to elected MLAs.
In Rajasthan, it remains to be seen who the workers want, with a source saying in this game Pilot could have an edge since he is the state chief and would naturally have more workers on his side.
Reports also suggest Gujjars of Rajasthan are agitating around state party offices asking for Pilot to be named. Everyone is watching if Gandhi will succumb to their pressures or will take his own independent call.
Gehlot and Pilot were called to Delhi on Thursday to discuss the issue with internal infighting already beginning to harm party’s image in a state it has won.
In MP, Gandhi will have leases trouble with sources saying that Kamal Nath has everyone’s backing.
In Chhattisgarh, too, it is learnt that the hopefuls — Tamradhwaj Sahu, TS Singhdeo, Charandas Mahant and Bhupesh Baghel — will happily accept what Gandhi will decide.
The posts of deputy chief minister’s are also under consideration in one or more of these states to address friction and reward more people than one.
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