Express News Service
JAIPUR: The suspense over who will succeed Ashok Gehlot as the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan may end at a meeting, to be held in Jaipur, shortly. The Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party meeting will be held at CM House where party veterans Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken will be present as observers on behalf of the Congress high command.
By calling a meeting of the Rajasthan Legislature Party, the Congress high command has made it clear that they want to decide in whose hands the steering of the government will be in the state where elections are due next year.
Questions are being raised whether this gathering is to pass the message of the high command to the MLAs.
It is also being discussed whether AICC observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken will take the final decision today itself or will they go to Delhi and announce the decision.
Till Saturday evening, the buzz was that only after the election of CM Ashok Gehlot as Congress National President, will there be a consultation with MLAs in Rajasthan about who should be the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan. But now it is being said that in the CLP meet on Sunday, CM Gehlot may resign from his post even before he files his nomination for the post of Congress party chief.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal had confirmed this very important meeting through a tweet late on Saturday night. He wrote that Sonia Gandhi has appointed Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as observers for the meeting of the legislature party at the Chief Minister’s residence in Jaipur at 7 pm on Sunday.
ALSO READ | Not worried whether Gehlot would shift to Delhi or not: Sachin Pilot
Sources say that even though Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is not too visible on this issue, she is monitoring it behind the scenes. Many discussions are taking place in the political corridors, but everything depends on the party high command i.e., the Gandhi family.
Senior Congress leader Malikarjun Kharge and state in-charge Ajay Maken, will know the opinion from the party MLAs of the state.
The question is whether senior Congress leader Malikarjun Kharge and state in-charge Ajay Maken have a message from the high command for the MLAs of Rajasthan or are they coming to consult with MLAs and take a decision.
Chances are also high that tonight’s legislature party meeting may pass a resolution asking the Congress high command to decide who should be the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan. If the legislature party passes this resolution, there is a strong possibility of Sachin Pilot becoming the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
ALSO READ | Gehlot likely to step down as Rajasthan CM, Tharoor may get CWC berth
This is the second CLP meeting within a week. The last meeting was held on September 20.
Gehlot became the first person to announce his candidature for the AICC presidential poll on Friday and said former party president Rahul Gandhi has told him that no one from the Gandhi family should become the next party chief.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday had met Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi in his chamber in the state Assembly. According to party sources, Pilot is the main contender for the chief minister’s post but Joshi’s name is also doing the rounds.
After over two decades, the Congress is set to see a contest for the post of party chief with Gehlot, who has announced his candidature, expected to take on Shashi Tharoor, who collected the nomination forms from AICC headquarters in Delhi on Saturday.
Congress presidential elections: Key dates
September 24 to 30: The process for filing nominations for the election
October 1: The date of scrutiny of the nomination papers
October 8: The last date of withdrawal of nominations
October 17: The election, if there is more than one candidate, will take place on this date
October 19: Counting of votes, if necessary, and the counting of votes and the declaration of results will take place on this date
(With inputs from online desk)
JAIPUR: The suspense over who will succeed Ashok Gehlot as the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan may end at a meeting, to be held in Jaipur, shortly. The Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party meeting will be held at CM House where party veterans Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken will be present as observers on behalf of the Congress high command.
By calling a meeting of the Rajasthan Legislature Party, the Congress high command has made it clear that they want to decide in whose hands the steering of the government will be in the state where elections are due next year.
Questions are being raised whether this gathering is to pass the message of the high command to the MLAs.
It is also being discussed whether AICC observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken will take the final decision today itself or will they go to Delhi and announce the decision.
Till Saturday evening, the buzz was that only after the election of CM Ashok Gehlot as Congress National President, will there be a consultation with MLAs in Rajasthan about who should be the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan. But now it is being said that in the CLP meet on Sunday, CM Gehlot may resign from his post even before he files his nomination for the post of Congress party chief.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal had confirmed this very important meeting through a tweet late on Saturday night. He wrote that Sonia Gandhi has appointed Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as observers for the meeting of the legislature party at the Chief Minister’s residence in Jaipur at 7 pm on Sunday.
ALSO READ | Not worried whether Gehlot would shift to Delhi or not: Sachin Pilot
Sources say that even though Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is not too visible on this issue, she is monitoring it behind the scenes. Many discussions are taking place in the political corridors, but everything depends on the party high command i.e., the Gandhi family.
Senior Congress leader Malikarjun Kharge and state in-charge Ajay Maken, will know the opinion from the party MLAs of the state.
The question is whether senior Congress leader Malikarjun Kharge and state in-charge Ajay Maken have a message from the high command for the MLAs of Rajasthan or are they coming to consult with MLAs and take a decision.
Chances are also high that tonight’s legislature party meeting may pass a resolution asking the Congress high command to decide who should be the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan. If the legislature party passes this resolution, there is a strong possibility of Sachin Pilot becoming the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
ALSO READ | Gehlot likely to step down as Rajasthan CM, Tharoor may get CWC berth
This is the second CLP meeting within a week. The last meeting was held on September 20.
Gehlot became the first person to announce his candidature for the AICC presidential poll on Friday and said former party president Rahul Gandhi has told him that no one from the Gandhi family should become the next party chief.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday had met Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi in his chamber in the state Assembly. According to party sources, Pilot is the main contender for the chief minister’s post but Joshi’s name is also doing the rounds.
After over two decades, the Congress is set to see a contest for the post of party chief with Gehlot, who has announced his candidature, expected to take on Shashi Tharoor, who collected the nomination forms from AICC headquarters in Delhi on Saturday.
Congress presidential elections: Key dates
September 24 to 30: The process for filing nominations for the election
October 1: The date of scrutiny of the nomination papers
October 8: The last date of withdrawal of nominations
October 17: The election, if there is more than one candidate, will take place on this date
October 19: Counting of votes, if necessary, and the counting of votes and the declaration of results will take place on this date
(With inputs from online desk)
