Eyes on Rahul for CMs in Rajasthan, MP, C'garh

Senior Congress leaders were locked in discussions with party President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday on deciding the chief ministers for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh.

Rahul held a series of meetings with central observers K C Venugopal and A K Antony, who visited Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh respectively to ascertain the views of the newly elected Congress MLAs. AICC General Secretaries Avinash Pande and Deepak Babariya were also present during the meeting.

“Yes, you will see a chief minister soon...,” Rahul told, reporters in Parliament said when asked about the announcement of the chief ministers for three states.

Chief Ministerial aspirants for Rajasthan – Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot – met Rahul at his 12, Tughlaq Lane residence even as their supporters raised slogans in their favour at the AICC Headquarters, about two km away.

Even as Kamal Nath was tipped the be the next Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, young leader Jyotiraditya Scindia too has thrown his hat in the ring.

Congress is understood to be considering appointing deputy chief ministers in the two states. However, Pilot is learnt to have shown disinclination on being appointed as the deputy chief minister.

Meanwhile, the Congress President also reached out the more than seven lakh party workers across the three states through a specially-developed Mobile App Shakti asking them to name a chief minister of their choice.

READ MORE

BJP and Congress now gear up for 2019 battle

Gehlot or Pilot? Rahul to take final call

Opposition leaders applaud Rahul

Kamal Nath likely to be Madhya Pradesh CM

Is she not happy? Cong on Mamata's silence

The AICC Data Analytics Department, led by Praveen Chakravarty, send out audio recording Rahul through the Shakti App. “Please mention just one name after the beep. I assure you, your choice will be known only to me and nobody else in the party,” Rahul said in the recorded message.

In its bid to de-centralise decision-making, the Congress had reached out to party workers in selecting party candidates for the assembly elections in the five states.

“We are taking inputs from different people. We are taking inputs from MLAs, we are taking inputs from party workers. We are seeking a comprehensive answer,” Rahul told reporters in Parliament when asked about the decision on chief ministers in the three states.

AICC General Secretary Mallikarjun Kharge, who was the central observer for Chhatisgarh, is expected to meet Rahul on Thursday evening and apprise him of the views of the party legislators in the state.

In Chhatisgarh, PCC chief Bhupesh Baghel and senior leader T S Singhdeo are considered as the frontrunners for the chief minister’s post.