The Congress is banking on the anti-incumbency factor against the Vasundhara Raje government in state to wrest power from the BJP this time
Putting to rest the speculations in the inner circle of the party, PCC chief Sachin Pilot and AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot, both contenders for the post of chief minister in Rajasthan, have announced that both of them will contest assembly elections scheduled to be held on December 7.
While Gehlot, who is a sitting MLA from Sardarpura (Jodhpur), is likely to contest from the same seat, Pilot, who will be contesting assembly elections for the first time, is on the lookout for the seat which shall bring him one step closer to the chair of the CM.
If sources are to be believed, a team associated with Pilot has surveyed nearly five seats, all of them dominated by the Gurjar community he belongs to. The seats include Masuda (Ajmer), Nagar (Bharatpur), Nasirabad (Ajmer), Virat Nagar (Jaipur) and Sawai Madhopur.
When Congress president Rahul Gandhi had extensively toured Bharatpur district taking out road shows, it was believed that Pilot planned his campaign in the areas to cement chances of victory if he contests the election from any of these seats.
Pilot has been an Ajmer and Dausa MP and his late father Rajesh Pilot and mother Rama Pilot have served as parliamentarians from Dausa. It is likely he can contest any assembly seat falling under either of the parliamentary seats.
The Congress is banking on the anti-incumbency factor against the Vasundhara Raje government in state to wrest power from the BJP this time. While chief minister Vasundhara Raje has been officially declared to be the face of the BJP in the upcoming polls, the Congress has remained in denial so far over its chief ministerial face in view of the apprehensions that the move could backfire given both Gehlot and Pilot are claimants to the post.
Since the screening committee panel headed by Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja has started working on the panels of the candidates, the speculations were on rife that both Gehlot and Pilot would not contest the elections.
When Gehlot wished to contest the election arguing his absence from the polls would send adverse message among the supporters damaging the poll prospects, the party changed its strategy allowing him and Pilot both to contest the elections.
In a press conference held in New Delhi, Gehlot made it public saying, "Both, I and Sachin Pilot will fight the Rajasthan assembly elections." Pilot credited Gehlot with his decision to contest the polls. "On president Rahul Gandhi's instruction and on Gehlotji's request, I have decided to contest the elections."
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