Ashok Gehlot will be Rajasthan’s next chief minister and Sachin Pilot the deputy chief minister, the Congress announced on Friday, not long after party chief Rahul Gandhi met both leaders.
“United colours of Rajasthan,” Rahul Gandhi said minutes after the meeting ended, tweeting a photo with Gehlot and Pilot with all three Congress leaders smiling widely.
It was seen to signal an end to a leadership tussle in Rajasthan, where the Congress ousted the BJP in assembly elections three days ago.
The Congress’ KC Venugopal made the formal announcement at a press conference, attended by both Gehlot, 67, and Pilot, 41. Ashok Gehlot, who has been Rajasthan chief minister two times before said he was “grateful for the decision.”
“The magic of Gehlot and I worked,” said Sachin Pilot, whose supporters had been demanding that he be given the chief minister’s post for delivering on the task of reviving the Congress in Rajasthan after the BJP pulverised it in the 2013 state elections.
Then BJP had won 163 of Rajasthan’s 200 assembly seats, with the Congress winning only 21.
On Tuesday, the Congress took back the state, reaching 121 magical figures along with its allies . The Ruling BJP lost 90 seats and lost 16% vote margin and has to contest with 73 seats only .
Rahul Gandhi had met both Gehlot and Pilot separately over several rounds of talks on Thursday too.
Twice, Gandhi called Ashok Gehlot back from the airport his last meeting with the veteran ran well past midnight. He had met Sachin Pilot just before that.
Gandhi also consulted other party leaders, including his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi . With Critics pitched high against Rahul gandhi for not zeroing in CM and questioned Rahul Gandhi leadership , but vide his United Colours of Rajasthan remarks New congress President silenced the aberrations against him
