Gehlot will hold the post for the third time, while Pilot – who's currently the state's Pradesh Congress Committee chief – makes his debut in state government as the deputy chief minister.
Chief Minister-elect Ashok Gehlot and his designated deputy Sachin Pilot will be sworn in on Monday, bringing the acrimony between the two Congress bigwigs over the top executive post in the state to an end. After marathon sessions convened by AICC chief Rahul Gandhi over three days, hectic parlays and consultations with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and a battery of senior Congressmen, the veil lifted over Rajasthan's chief ministerial face.
In a formula that broke the deadlock and paved the way for the formation of the government, Gehlot will hold the post for the third time, while Pilot – who's currently the state's Pradesh Congress Committee chief – makes his debut in state government as the deputy chief minister.
Rahul will oversee the government formations in all three states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — on December 17. "Gehlot and Pilot will be sworn in first," said a party bearer, "followed by Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh.
"The day will conclude with the government's formation in Chhattisgarh," the party bearer said.
So, what led the party brass to bank on the old guard instead of betting on fresh blood? Sources say Gehlot's experience in running a coalition government cinched the deal. It is seen as the need of the hour as the party secured 99 seats out of 199 constituencies and failed to muster up a majority on its own. In 2008, Gehlot had convinced all six MLAs of BSP to join Congress, which had 96 legislators, to cross the 101-mark.
Sources also whisper that Sonia backed Gehlot after hearing out both sides. Rahul was tilting towards Pilot, but senior leaders, including Ahmed Patel and Mukul Wasnik also reasoned to put Gehlot in the driver's seat. Pilot was compensated with the deputy post, a proposal acceptable to both factions.
The mainstay of the discussion, which hinged around the party's chances for the 2019 general elections, turned out to be Gehlot's Brahmastra in delivering the highest number of seats possible. In 2014, BJP won all 25 seats, but Congress wrested back two in the by-polls held earlier this year.
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