Congress in a ix over CMS in key states

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has not finalised a choice of chief minister in the key states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, say Congress sources

NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has not inalised a choice of chief minister in the key states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Congress sources said on Thursday evening.

Initial reports had suggested that Rahul had chosen two veteran leaders to helm governments in the two Hindi heartland states, which the party has recovered crushing several Bharatiya Janata Party bastions. The choice of two-time chief minister Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan and former Union minister Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh was taken after prolonged exercises.

However, an announcement was delayed as protests erupted in both states. Supporters of Rajasthan state unit chief Sachin Pilot and Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, two aspirants known to be in Rahul’s age group and close to him, took to the streets.

Pilot tweeted an appeal to his supporters not to try to pressure the party president in this style. In Madhya Pradesh, Scindia had on Wednesday proposed Kamal Nath’s name and had agreed to remain as his deputy.

Earlier Rahul had reached out to nearly 730,000 party workers in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In an audio message that went out to party cadres, Rahul is heard asking them: “Now I want to ask you a vital question: Who should be the chief minister? Please mention just one name. I’m the only person who would know whom you are naming. No one in the party will know. Please speak after the beep.” Sonia Gandhi as well as Priyanka Gandhi were also involved in the decision-making process, but Rahul heard from party observers at length. Former defence minister A K Antony had talked to Congress MLAS and leaders in Bhopal and had arrived in Delhi to meet Rahul this morning. The observer sent to Rajasthan was K C Venugopal MP, who also reported back on Thursday.

Sources close to Rahul said he decided to go for experience and take into consideration the fact that the two veterans had sacriiced much for the party. He also felt the youngsters could wait.

Elected to Parliament nine times, Kamal Nath remains the most senior member in the Lok Sabha and had been the strategist in Madhya Pradesh.

His rivals brought up allegations of his involvement in the 1984 anti-sikh riots, but supporters countered by saying the court had acquitted him.

Gehlot, 67, had a more serious challenge in the party, from Sachin Pilot, 41, known to belong to Rahul’s inner circle. A former union minister in the Manmohan Singh government, he travelled over 500,000 kilometres while campaigning for the Dec.7 election. However, the observer is known to have reported back that Gehlot’s support among newly-elected MLAS was much stronger than that of Pilot, who had invigorated the Congress during the past four years as state unit chief.

Gehlot is credited with remarkable organisational capabilities, though critics sight his dificulty with English, while Pilot speaks luently. Age is another factor that was cited against Gehlot, but the high command seems to have preferred experienced hands as the Lok Sabha election is close.

Reports from Rajasthan spoke of clashes between Congress workers.

Pilot posted a message on Twitter, calling for peace. “I appeal to party workers to maintain peace and decorum. I have full faith in the leadership, we will welcome whatever Rahul Gandhi ji and Sonia Gandhiji decide. It is our responsibility to uphold the honour of the party, we are dedicated to the party.”