Rajasthan: Sachin Pilot Meets Speaker CP Joshi Amid Speculation Over Change In Chief Minister
Pilot, who doesn’t see eye-to-eye with Gehlot in what is seen as a protracted power tussle, met Joshi in his chamber in the state legislative assembly in the presence of several party MLAs.
New Delhi: Amid speculations of them being frontrunners to take over from Ashok Gehlot as the Rajasthan chief minister while the veteran leader vies for the post of Congress national president, party leader Sachin Pilot on Friday called on Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi.
It is understood that the meeting lasted for one-and-a-half hours. While tipped as the favourite to land the CM’s chair once Gehlot steps down, there’s also speculation that Pilot might be made the party’s state president while Joshi, who is considered to be part of Gehlot’s trusted inner circle, is made chief minister.
According to sources, Priyanka Gandhi is believed to be in favour of Pilot being crowned the next Rajasthan CM. It is also believed that her brother and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wants a decision on the next Rajasthan CM to be made before he embarks on the foot march in the state sometime in October-November.
Pilot, who doesn’t see eye-to-eye with Gehlot in what is seen as a protracted power tussle, met Joshi in his chamber in the state legislative assembly in the presence of several party MLAs.
A former Congress president who was the party’s CM face in the 2008 Assembly elections but lost the polls by a single vote, Joshi is seen as a potential challenger to Pilot, who is tipped to be the favourite to land the chief minister’s post.
Earlier on Friday, Gehlot and Pilot arrived in state capital Jaipur after holding separate consultations with the party high command amid the ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo’ campaign of the Congress. However, none was willing to comment on the political developments.
Gehlot, who on Thursday confirmed that he was running for Congress president in the polls scheduled to be held on October 17, flew to Delhi on Wednesday. On reaching the national capital, he left for Kochi where he met Rahul Gandhi. He reached Maharashtra on Friday and offered his prayers at the Shirdi Sai Baba temple.
The Rajasthan CM was back in Jaipur on Friday evening with Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra. He headed straight for the chief minister’s residence after reaching the state capital.
Meanwhile, Pilot, who was pictured matching steps with Rahul Gandhi in the ongoing leg of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Kochi, Kerala, arrived in Jaipur on Friday and headed to the state Assembly.
On reaching the legislative Assembly, Pilot met several Congress MLAs who are considered close to him.
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