Rajasthan to get a new CM? Key meeting of Congress leaders at Ashok Gehlot's residence today

The buzz around the leadership change in Rajasthan has come amid the announcement that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will contest the upcoming Congress presidential poll.

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New Delhi: Amid the leadership change buzz following the announcement that Ashok Gehlot will contest the upcoming Congress presidential poll, a meeting has been called of its legislature party in Rajasthan at the Chief Minister's Jaipur residence today (September 25, 2022). This is the second Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting within a week, which will be attended by senior Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken. According to reports, the leadership of the government going forward, if Gehlot is elected as Congress president, is likely to be on the meeting agenda.

Gehlot, 71, has already announced to contest election for the post of Congress President scheduled next month. 

Earlier this week, Rahul Gandhi had asserted that the "one-person, one-post" resolution of the party should be maintained with regard to the Congress president's post. A victory for Gehlot in the Congress presidential poll would mean that he would have to give up the chief ministership. 

Who can replace Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan CM if he becomes Congress president?

Ashok Gehlot's arch rival and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot is the main contender in the race for the post of the chief minister. According to reports, Pilot has started talking to the Congress MLAs of all camps.

The name of Assembly Speaker Dr CP Joshi is also among the popular faces. He is a former state Congress president and was a contender for the post in 2008 but lost the Assembly elections by one vote at that time.

Various organisations including the Jat Mahasabha have also started raising the demand to make a Jat leader the chief minister.

Several ministers in the Rajasthan government, however, have advocated for Ashok Gehlot to be retained as both the chief minister and the party's national president.

Congress to see a contest for post of party chief after over two decades

The Congress is set to see a contest for the post of party chief after over two decades. The grand old party last saw a contest for the top post in November 2000 when Jitendra Prasada had lost to Sonia Gandhi. Prior to that, Sitaram Kesri had defeated Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot in 1997.

In this election, Gehlot is expected to take on Shashi Tharoor, who had the nomination forms collected from AICC headquarters in Delhi on Saturday.

According to the party notification, the process for filing nominations for the election will be held from September 24 to 30. The date for scrutiny of the nomination papers is October 1, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8.

The final list of candidates will be published at 5 pm on October 8. The polling, if needed, will be held on October 17. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day.

(With agency inputs)