Election results 2018: Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot are contenders for chief minister in Rajasthan
Highlights
- Congress moves to next challenge in Rajasthan: Who will be chief minister
- Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot are contenders for chief minister in Rajasthan
- Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will decide who the chief minister will be
Elections done and a victory in the bag, the Congress in Rajasthan today proceeds to its next challenge -- who will be chief minister, old warhorse Ashok Gehlot or state party chief Sachin Pilot. The Congress is the largest party in Rajasthan with 99 seats -- one short of a majority -- and the BJP stopped at 73. The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), an ally of the Congress, won one seat. Together, they have 100 seats, which is the majority mark.
The 99 newly-elected Congress lawmakers will share their choice with two central leaders of the party at a meeting. The final decision will be Congress president Rahul Gandhi's, said Sachin Pilot, who was tasked with leading the party in the state four years ago.
"Whatever the lawmakers have to say they will say in the meeting and the final decision is left to the Congress president and other party leaders. We will take a call today," Mr Pilot told reporters.
The feedback of the lawmakers will be shared with Rahul Gandhi.
Yesterday, Congress celebrations were splintered between the supporters of Mr Pilot and Ashok Gehlot.
Election results 2018: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will take a call on who will be made Rajasthan chief minister, whether Sachin Pilot or Ashok Gehlot
They both said the Congress leadership would decide and they would abide by Rahul Gandhi's choice.
Next year's national election may have a huge bearing on that decision.
Assembly Elections 2018 Live Results : Rajasthan
Sources say the Congress is weighing a formula that will keep both leaders happy, since it is the combined strength of both that has brought the party this far. The party cannot have any of the two upset at this stage.
Such a formula may involve positioning one leader in Delhi for a national role, leaving the other to manage Rajasthan.
Voting was held in 199 of the 200 seats in the state on December 7. Election to Alwar's Ramgarh constituency was countermanded due to the death of the BSP candidate. The votes were counted on Tuesday.