Party will decide from where I will contest, says Sachin Pilot as race for Congress CM pick in Rajasthan intensifies

Sachin Pilot had confirmed on Wednesday that he will contest the December 7 assembly elections in Rajasthan.

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot has said that the central leadership of the party will decide from which assembly constituency in the state will he contest the upcoming assembly elections.

''The party will decide from where I will contest elections. A list of candidates will be announced soon,'' Sachin Pilot told ANI.

The party will decide from where I will contest elections. A list of candidates will be announced soon: Sachin Pilot, Congress. He had announced yesterday that he will contest December 7 Rajasthan Assembly elections. pic.twitter.com/NyquDkW29U — ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2018

Sachin had confirmed on Wednesday that he will contest the December 7 assembly elections in Rajasthan.

The remarks from Piot comes at a time when the speculations over Congress party's CM pick has intensified.

Both Pilot and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot are seen as top contender for the post.

Sources close to the party have said the leadership contest in Rajasthan Congress will now intensify with both main contenders throwing their hat in the ring. 

Gehlot and Pilot, however, dismissed suggestions that there was any infighting among the state leaders and asserted that they will take on the BJP collectively.
The two leaders ended the speculation over whether they will contest the polls at a joint press conference here at the Congress headquarters, where the party announced the joining of BJP MP Harish Chandra Meena from Dausa in Rajasthan.

While Gehlot is a sitting MLA from Sardarpura in Jodhpur district, Pilot has never contested the state assembly polls.

"The talk about division within the Congress is a conspiracy by the BJP which has also been exposed in last two months. There is no division in the party and all leaders will unitedly contest the upcoming election,'' Gehlot said.

"Sachin Pilot ji and I will contest the assembly election, as well as all other senior leaders in the state who wish to contest," Gehlot told reporters.

He was asked about the delay by the Congress in announcing candidates and reports that claimed that infighting among the top state leaders over the distribution of tickets was responsible for it. 

Filing of nomination papers in Rajasthan started on Monday and will continue till November 19.

On the issue of the chief ministerial candidate, Gehlot said since independence the Congress has never declared its chief ministerial face in Rajasthan and the party is happy to carry on this tradition.

He also asserted there is discipline in the party and all Congressmen will abide by the party leadership's decision.

Pilot had earlier been an MP from Dausa in 2004. 

He won from Ajmer in 2009 Lok Sabha election. He unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Ajmer in 2014. 

He, however, did not contest the bye-election to the seat earlier this year. 

(With PTI inputs)