Ashok Gehlot to make way for Pilot? Key meet of Rajasthan Congress MLAs today amid buzz over change of guard

The Congress has called a meeting of its Legislature Party in Rajasthan at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s residence today, amid the leadership change buzz following the announcement that he will contest the party president poll. There is indication that Gehlot has agreed to make way for his bitter viral Sachin Pilot to succeed him while he moves to take ovr the party reigns. 

The decision to call the CLP meeting came on a day when some of the party’s Rajasthan MLAs, who were considered close to Gehlot, backed Pilot for the CM post. 

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appointed Mallikarjun Kharge as observer along with general secretary in-charge Rajasthan Ajay Maken. They will attend the meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, AICC general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Maken met Sonia Gandhi and discussed issues related to Rajasthan in detail. This is the second CLP meeting within a week. The last meeting was held on September 20.

PTI quoted sources saying that the leadership of the government going forward, if Gehlot is elected as party chief, is likely to be on the meeting agenda.

Gehlot became the first person to announce his candidature for the AICC presidential poll on Friday and said former president Rahul Gandhi has told him that no one from the Gandhi family should become the next party chief. The chief minister also said that the call on his successor will be taken by Sonia Gandhi and



Maken.

Gehlot's remarks came a day after Rahul Gandhi batted for the "one man, one post" concept in the party, in line with the 'Chintan Shivir' reforms.

Talking to reporters in Kochi, Gehlot had said, "I will fix the date (to submit the nomination papers) after going back (to Rajasthan), but I have decided that I will have to contest. It is a question of democracy and let us make a new start."

Later in the day, Gehlot told reporters in Shirdi that the debate on "one man, one post" is unnecessary and that he would like to serve the people of his state all his life.

He also said his statements on wanting to serve the people of Rajasthan are being interpreted in different ways.

Interestingly, Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday met Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi amid speculations of a change of guard in the state.

Pilot had met Joshi in his chamber in the state Assembly, where several party MLAs were also present. According to party sources, Pilot is the main contender for the chief minister's post but Joshi's name is also doing the rounds.

Joshi is a former state Congress president and was a contender for the post in 2008 but lost the Assembly elections by one vote at that time.

After over two decades, the Congress is set to see a contest for the post of party chief with Gehlot, who has announced his candidature, expected to take on Shashi Tharoor, who had the nomination forms collected from AICC headquarters in Delhi on Saturday.