Gehlot, Joshi top CM candidate list

NEW DELHI/JAIPUR: The Congress leadership is considering appointing Ashok Gehlot as the new chief minister of Rajasthan, and a member of one of the dominant communities, probably a Jat, as the deputy chief minister.

The move is aimed at placating the Jats and the upper castes, who are opposed to Gehlot .If the party decides to appoint a deputy chief minister it will not be for the first time. During the last year of Gehlot's reign, the party had appointed two deputy chief ministers Kamla Beniwal and Harilal Bairwaw.

The newly-elected members of the Congress Legislative Party will meet in Jaipur on Thursday to decide on the issue of chief ministerial candidates. The meeting will also be attended by AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, besides observers from the Centre. Sources in the Congress said a formal declaration of the chief ministerial candidate's name was expected by Friday.

Senior party leaders in Delhi have refused to speculate on the names of the likely chief minister but off record PCC chief CP Joshi is being mentioned as one of the contenders. Joshi lost the election by a mere vote. “Joshi worked tirelessly for the party in the run up to and during the polls,” said an AICC functionary.