JAIPUR: As the Congress Central Election Committee continues to deliberate over names of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan, it has come to light that three staunch loyalists of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot may not be considered for the crucial polls. While the Congress Central Election Committee is expected to release the candidate list soon, there is uncertainty surrounding the names of three close confidants of Ashok Gehlot, which includes two senior ministers. These three individuals were widely held responsible for the Congress MLAs' boycott of a crucial legislature party meeting last year.


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The central leadership is engaged in intense deliberations regarding the tickets of Khem's legislators in the Rajasthan Congress, namely Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi, and Dharmendra Rathore. Party insiders claim that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have also expressed their displeasure over their names.


The party leadership aims to send a strong message to the rebels while also appeasing Gehlot and his arch-rival Sachin Pilot to bolster its electoral prospects. During the Congress central election committee meeting on Wednesday, there was a serious discussion over the names of Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi, and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation chairman Dharmendra Rathore - all close confidants of CM Ashok Gehlot. Gehlot is advocating for their retention, despite adverse reports, while the party has different considerations.


The Congress central committee has, so far, finalized close to 100 candidates, with their names currently marked as "pending." Notably, AICC secretary Dheeraj Gujjar's name is also on the pending list. Gujjar is in charge of UP and has been closely associated with the top echelons of the party. The meeting also involved discussions on the findings of the survey agencies.


While some had recommended the removal of a significant number of sitting MLAs, the recommendations to the screening panel and senior leaders were against such a move. The credibility of the survey reports was also discussed during the meeting.


The party leadership will ultimately decide the fate of these leaders, and it's likely that CM Gehlot will make a final push for their inclusion with the party brass during the CEC meeting later today.


The CM has been advocating for retaining most of the sitting MLAs, emphasizing that the Congress state government's performance relies on their support and that the corruption allegations are a ploy by the BJP-RSS against the party.


Speaking to the media recently, CM Gehlot stated, "Everything is smooth in the Congress party. People across the villages are saying that there's no anti-incumbency, and there is no wave against the government. The people in Rajasthan are welcoming all the government's schemes.'' He added that people are supporting the government.


Amid the tussle over ticket distribution in Rajasthan Congress, it has also been reported that the tickets of at least ten legislators close to the other Congress camp led by Sachin Pilot may also be cut. Out of the 19 legislators who rebelled with Sachin Pilot, around 10 legislators' tickets could be affected. Sources, however, suggested that Sachin Pilot may choose other leaders of his liking for these 10 seats.


The Rajasthan Assembly consists of 200 constituencies, and the state has historically been dominated by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the last elections in 2018, Congress secured a victory with 101 seats. The Congress is yet to release its list of candidates, while the opposition in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party, has already released its first list, fielding as many as 7 MPs in the assembly polls.


The Congress is set to kick off its election campaign for the upcoming assembly election in Rajasthan on October 16 with the slogan "Kaam Kiya Dil Se, Congress Fir Se," as announced by state party president Govind Singh Dotasra.


The Election Commission of India recently changed the poll dates for Rajasthan Assembly elections from November 23 to November 25. Earlier, the Election Commission had announced the schedule for Assembly polls in Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Telangana. 


According to the Election Commission of India, voting for all 40 assembly seats in Mizoram will take place on November 7 along with the first phase of polling for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh. The remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will go to polls on November 17 alongside all 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh. The 119-member Telangana Assembly will go to polls on November 30.


The counting of votes for all five states will take place on December 3.