Rahul hints at Pilot as next R'sthan CM if party wins

Congress in Rajasthan may have decided to go to polls without a chief ministerial face but the context and the content of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's recent speeches clearly indicate that Sachin Pilot will be next chief minister of the state if party comes to power.

At several election rallies and road shows, Rahul indirectly attacked Gehlot by saying that the previous Congress government didn't listen to workers and people but the next government would listen to their voices. After making this remark in Dholpur on October 9, next day at Congress rally in Bikaner Rahul once again said, “I want to assure that this time the Congress CM and ministers will listen to people and party workers 18-hours a day and keep their doors open to all".

After this remark made by Congress chief became public, people have been discussing who will be the next chief minister if the party returns to power in the Assembly elections slated for December 7.

Since the previous two Congress governments in Rajasthan 1998 to 2003 and 2008 to 2013 were helmed by Ashok Gehlot, Congress chief's words are directly hinting to have a new face and new style of leadership in Rajasthan. Moreover, his remarks have also made the supporters of Pilot happy, as none was expecting to get such indications two months ahead of polls.

According to the experts, by not naming a single face was a ploy to keep the party united. "But not naming one leader, it helped the party to fight against BJP under one umbrella. Otherwise, two camps would have had sabotaged the campaign by pulling each other's leg", a senior Congress leader told DH.

While supporters of Pilot are already rejoicing but at the same time, Gehlot's ardent followers are sure that he will make a comeback.

If the tally is compared, in the 1998 elections, Congress had won 153 of the 200 seats and Gehlot was appointed the CM for the first time. The second time when the party returned to power in 2008 with 96 seats of its own and six from the BSP, Gehlot was again made the CM. However, in 2013, the party suffered the most humiliating defeat ever with 21 seats in the 200-member house.