CM selection will be smooth: Rahul

Having posted remarkable victories in the Hindi heartland, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the selection of chief ministers in the three states will be done "smoothly".

"We have defeated the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh... There will be no issue over (selection of) chief minister. It will be done smoothly," Rahul told reporters here.

In Rajasthan, party veteran Ashok Gehlot and state Congress President Sachin Pilot were locked in a tussle for the chief minister's post. Gehlot, a two-time chief minister, has won the Assembly poll from Sardarpura, while Pilot has won his maiden state poll from Tonk.

In Chhattisgarh, senior Congress leader T S Singh Deo, state unit President Bhupesh Baghel and AICC OBC Department Chairman Tamradhwaj Sahu are considered contenders for the top post.

In Madhya Pradesh, state Congress chief Kamal Nath and senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia are frontrunners for the top post.

Rahul said the party had effectively "ironed out" tensions among the leaders within the party in various states ahead of the elections.

AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal has been dispatched as the central observer in Rajasthan. The Congress legislators are scheduled to have two meetings on Wednesday to finalise the chief minister.

In Chhatisgarh, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has been sent as Central observer. A meeting of newly elected Congress legislators is scheduled for Thursday.

Former Defence Minister A K Antony has been nominated as the Central observer for Madhya Pradesh.