Congress grapples with age-old dilemma.
TOUGH DECISIONS FOR RAHUL AFTER ELECTION WINS IN RAJASTHAN AND MADHYA PRADESH
With the elections done and victory in the bag, the Congress party now faces its next challenge — who to pick as the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
With old warhorses and members of “generation next” throwing their hats in the ring, it promises to be a difficult time for the party.
In Rajasthan, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi must decide between veteran Ashok Gehlot or state party chief Sachin Pilot. Meanwhile, in Madhya Pradesh, he must choose between and state party head Kamal Nath or the much younger Jyotiraditya Scindia.
At meetings involving the newly elected legislators in the two states yesterday, both veteran and younger leaders staked their claims. However, it was resolved that Gandhi would have final say on the matter.
“Whatever the Members of the Legislative Assembly [MLA] have to say, they will say in the meeting at a later stage and the final decision is left to the Congress president and other party leaders. We will take a call soon,” Pilot said yesterday.
However, sources in Congress tipped veteran leader Gehlot to be named Rajasthan’s next chief minister, with his vast political experience weighing against much younger Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) president Pilot.
In Madhya Pradesh, Scindia yesterday made it clear that he was ready to take up the post.
“It would be an honour to serve as chief minister. I am a servant of the people and will always be,” Scindia said. “What form that will take, be it through Madhya Pradesh or as minister of central government or chief whip, it is for my party to decide. Whatever the high command decides, I will follow.”
Nath concurred that the decision was the high command’s.
Earlier in the day, both Nath and Scindia joined forces to hand over a letter to Governor Anandiben Patel, staking the Congress’ claim to form the government.
Congress narrowly won Madhya Pradesh but fell two seats short of obtaining a majority. The hurdle was cleared when Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati pledged her support to Congress to keep Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power.
“Congress is weighing a formula that will keep both Nath and Scindia happy. It is the efforts of both the leaders that brought Congress this far. The party cannot have anyone upset at this point,” political commentator
At meetings involving the newly elected legislators in the two states yesterday, both veteran and younger leaders staked their claims to become chief minister.
Vivek Saksena told Gulf News.
“An appeasement formula would likely involve positioning one leader for a national role in New Delhi while letting the other take over as [chief minister].”
However, the BJP, which ruled Madhya Pradesh for 15 years, trumped Congress in the popular vote by a slender margin. The party received 41 per cent of the total votes polled, while Congress got 40.9 per cent.
Social activist Anita Mohan told Gulf News that it is going to be interesting to see how Rahul would decide on the positions of chief minister in the two states.
Turf war
“Having won the legislative Assembly elections in Rajasthan and MP, Rahul Gandhi now has to settle the CM question in these states,” Mohan said. “It is a turf war between the old and new guard. The race for the [chief minister’s] post in MP and Rajasthan is wide open as the Congress camp is clearly divided between the old and the new face.”
Saksena said the anticipated leadership tussle in the two states was the next challenge for Congress.