In poll-bound Rajasthan, as the suspected infighting between Ashok Gehlot camp versus Sachin Pilot camp leads to delay in declaration of nomination list of candidates, two leaders from Congress have decided to have it their way. They have gone ahead and filed their nomination papers without really waiting for the green signal from ‘high command’.
Former Jaisalmer-Barmer Lok Sabha member Harish Chaudhary filed his nominations from Baytoo seat in Barmer. Congress leader Hemaram Chaudhary filed from Gudamalani seat from Barmer. Harish Chaudhary even took out a road show followed by addressing a mass rally claiming his candidature from Congress party. Whereas Hemaram earlier served as revenue minister in the last Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan.
Ashok Gehlot vs. Sachin Pilot
Speculations have been rife that the Rajasthan Congress is divided between the former Rajasthan chief minister and senior leader Ashok Gehlot and son of late Congress leader Rajesh Pilot, Sachin Pilot. However, Pilot had refuted the claims as ‘rumours’ planted by the BJP.
Both leaders are widely believed to be frontrunners in the race of yet to be announced the chief ministerial candidate for Congress. However, until now Congress has dodged the question.
Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said that if Congress comes to power, either Gehlot or Pilot would be the chief minister in Rajasthan. Other names in the running were CP Joshi and Rameshwar Dudi, but Singhvi’s statement rules out their possibility. However, it is widely believed that Congress is not zeroing in on either of the two to avoid tensions within the party as a run-up to the elections.
Madhya Pradesh internal war
Rajasthan is not the only place where Congress is making news more for the infighting. In Madhya Pradesh, too, swords were drawn between veteran Congress leader and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia over candidate selection. Reportedly matters reached to such level that a committee of Ashok Gehlot, Veerappa Moily and Ahmed Patel has been constituted to resolve the matter.
Earlier, a poster war had emerged between Scindia and Kamal Nath, another prospective Congress Chief Ministerial candidate in the state. Congress had blamed the BJP for their internal squabble then as well. That time, too, Congress had blamed the BJP for their internal squabble.
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are two of the five states which are going to elections in coming weeks. Rajasthan will vote on 7th December while Madhya Pradesh votes on 28th November. The results for all five states will be declared on 11th December.
