Ashok Gehlot to be Rajasthan CM, Sachin Pilot his deputy

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service 
New Delhi, December 14

The Congress on Friday named Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan’s next chief minister and Sachin Pilot his deputy after party president Rahul Gandhi successfully brokered peace between the veteran leader and his younger colleague following several rounds of discussions.

“The united colours of Rajasthan,” Gandhi said in the tweet along with the photograph in which the three leaders were seen in a jovial mood.

Read: Abracadabra? Magician’s son will be Rajasthan CM again

AICC observer for Rajasthan KC Venugopal said that the party has decided Ashok Gehlot’s name for the chief minister’s post while Sachin Pilot will be the deputy chief minister. 

There have been hectic discussions between top party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on the selection of chief ministers for Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

After the tweet by Rahul, celebrations started at Gehlot’s civil lines residence at 2.55 pm. A close aide of Gehlot told The Tribune that the celebrations by party workers can be a good indication.

After Congress’ observer to the state K C Venugopal made the announcement at a media briefing here, Gehlot thanked Gandhi for giving him an opportunity to serve the people of the state for the third time and promised that he and Pilot will give “good governance”.

Pilot exuded confidence that Congress’ good electoral performance will continue, saying the party will get a big mandate in 2019 polls and form the government.

Gehlot and Pilot later left New Delhi for a meeting with Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh in Jaipur, where a party delegation presented him a list of the newly elected Congress legislators and supporting MLAs.

The Congress Legislature Party also held a meeting in Jaipur.

Gehlot and Pilot will be sworn in on Monday. Rahul and other Congress leaders are expected to attend the ceremony in Jaipur.

"Only the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister will be sworn in on December 17 (Monday). The other members of the ministry will be announced later," Gehlot told reporters.

The venue of the ceremony was not immediately announced.