Congress Appoints Assam MP Gaurav Gogoi Chairman Of Screening Committee For Rajasthan Elections

The Rajasthan assembly polls are slated to be held in December to elect all 200 members of the state's legislative assembly.

Congress's Lok Sabha MP from Assam Gaurav Gogoi.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed Assam Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi the chairman of the screening committee for the upcoming Rajasthan assembly elections. While Gaurav Gogoi will lead the screening committee, Ganesh Godiyal and Abhishek Dutt will be its members.

"By appointing the deputy leader of the [principal] opposition party in the Lok Sabha as the chairman of the screening committee, the Grand Old Party looks forward to a rigorous evaluation of potential candidates," Gaurav Somani, secretary of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, said in a statement.

"By assembling a diverse panel of experienced leaders, the committee aims to ensure that the voice of every citizen is represented in the party's candidate selection process," Somani added. The screening process will focus on identifying leaders with strong track records, visionary ideas, and a passion for serving the public, he further added.

"Expressing confidence in the screening committee's capabilities, the AICC chief has called upon all party members and supporters to actively contribute to the democratic process as the party gears up for the crucial Rajasthan assembly elections," Somani said.

The Rajasthan assembly polls are slated to be held in December to elect all 200 members of the state's legislative assembly. The present tenure of the Rajasthan legislative assembly is scheduled to end on January 14, 2024. The previous assembly elections were held in December 2018, after which the Indian National Congress formed the state government, with Ashok Gehlot becoming the Chief Minister of the state.

A recent ABP News-CVoter survey revealed that incumbent Chief Minister Gehlot was the most popular choice for the top post as he beat his predecessor Vasundhara Raje by 10 percentage points. While three-time CM Gehlot received the support of 35% of the respondents, two-time CM Raje was backed by 25% of the participants. Gehlot's Congress colleague Sachin Pilot, a strong contender for the CM's post came in third with the backing of just 19% of the respondents.

The level of satisfaction of the voters in the state with the work of CM Gehlot was also encouraging. As many as 41% of the respondents said that they were "very much satisfied" with his work, while 35% said that they were "satisfied to some extent". The percentage of people saying that they were "not at all satisfied" with CM Gehlot's performance was 21%, while 3% were unsure of their answer.