Rajasthan: As Gehlot Set To Contest Cong Prez Poll, Sachin Pilot Supporters Upbeat Amid Leadership Change Buzz
According to Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) member Saud Saidi, people in Tonk are eagerly waiting for the party to take a decision in favour of Pilot.
New Delhi: As Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is all set to contest the Congress presidential election, party workers and supporters of Sachin Pilot are upbeat that he would replace the former in the top post. Hours before the Congress Legislature Party meeting in Jaipur, posters with quotes such as 'Naye Yug ki Taiyari' (preparing for a new era) have surfaced in Jodhpur.
However, several people in Gehlot's hometown Jodhpur want him to continue as the chief minister even if he becomes the Congress national president.
According to Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) member Saud Saidi, people in Tonk are eagerly waiting for the party to take a decision in favour of Pilot.
“As the MLA of Tonk constituency, Pilot has been quite active. If he becomes the chief minister, the pace at which various developmental works are being undertaken will increase," news agency PTI quoted Saidi as saying.
"People have been waiting for four years, and now, it is believed that Pilot is surely going to become the chief minister. Tonk needs industries and employment opportunities, and if the chief minister is from Tonk, the place will certainly get many benefits," he said.
Meanwhile, another Congress leader in Tonk said that there is no leader better than Pilot to replace Gehlot as the CM.
“There is no one other than Pilot who can be made the chief minister after Gehlot. This is the perception among the people. Pilot is young and energetic, and he is the only leader in the state who has the potential to ensure the Congress party's victory in the next assembly elections,” Laxman Chaudhary told PTI.
Notably, Chaudhary was the Tonk district Congress Committee chief before the unit was dissolved in 2020 after Pilot's rebellion against Gehlot.
However, in Jodhpur, many party leaders and workers wanted to see Gehlot hold both the posts as the CM and Congress president, while some others are of the view that he should focus solely on reviving the Congress as its chief.
Veteran Congress leader and state PCC former member Pawan Mehta said that it is a matter of pride for all of the party members if Gehlot goes on to head the grand old party.
"It is really a big thing. He is so rooted... With his excellent organisational skills, he will be able to infuse energy among the workers and thus bring the party to life", Mehta said, adding, “What we feel is that Ashok Gehlot should be allowed to hold both the positions together for the greater good of the party. He has introduced the best schemes which have earned wide appreciation, and if he continues as the chief minister, there will be high chances of the Congress retaining power in the next elections.”
Notably, Gehlot and Pilot have been at a protracted power tussle over the CM post ever since the Congress won the Assembly elections in December 2018 and the high command chose Gehlot as the chief minister for the third time while Pilot was made his deputy.
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