Congress is hunting different options to win elections in different poll-bound states. One of the many ideas, for instance, is that they have implemented is to not name a chief ministerial candidate in Rajasthan.
Congress wants to keep the audiences guessing for which candidate will be fielded as the chief minister. The second reason for taking this decision is to win votes in the name of both the candidates, namely Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot.
The party is now shifting focus on implementing election campaigns across the poll-bound states. On these lines, the party is expected to avoid fielding party seniors for the assembly elections and that of the state president.
If the rumor is to be believed, Congress is having extra focus on Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh – the states where Congress winning the elections looks a little impossible. In Madhya Pradesh, the party would refrain President Kamal Nath, Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia from contesting the elections. As far as Rajasthan is concerned, state unit president Sachin Pilot, and Rajasthan Congress seniors Ashok Gehlot and C P Joshi may be avoided as a contestant in the elections.
A senior Congress leader revealed the plan to the media, saying: “The idea could be implemented across the three states so that these senior leaders are not tied down to their specific constituencies and instead campaign across the state.”
“This is especially true for Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, which have 200 plus seats,” he added.
In Rajasthan, Gehlot and Sachin are being criticized for not being the perfect fit for contesting the elections. Sachin has been known for making the party face a big defeat. Who is left is Ashok Gehlot, who is the only sitting MLA (from Sardarpura). However, he too has been increasingly involved in All India Congress Committee (AICC) affairs by Gandhi. As far as MP is concerned, Scindia and Nath are sitting MPs.
“It would not be the first time that party seniors would not contest assembly elections. The first time Ashok Gehlot became chief minister in 1998, he was an MP and was sent by the party high command as chief minister,” the unnamed Congress official said.
