Will Rajasthan Congress get a new chief after Lok Sabha polls?

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Jaipur, May 17 (IANS) Speculation is rife in the Desert State as to who will be the next chief of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee.

Whether an Ashok Gehlot loyalist will be given the coveted post or someone from the Sachin Pilot camp will be made the state Congress chief are the million-dollar questions doing the rounds in the political corridors of the state.

Party sources said that the results of the Lok Sabha elections, due on June 4, will decide whether state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra's will retain his chair.

“There is a possibility of extensive changes in the Congress after the Lok Sabha elections," said a party worker.

Gehlot’s fate depends on the results for the Jalore and Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) Lok Sabha seats. While Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot is the Congress nominee from Jalore, the former Chief Minister has been made the party observer for the prestigious Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.

Now, all eyes are set on these two seats which will decide Gehlot’s political stature in the state, said sources.

The fate of former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot will also be decided after the declaration of the Lok Sabha results on June 4.

Many candidates have reportedly been fielded in the LS polls on the recommendation of Pilot, including from Jaipur Rural, Tonk, Dausa, Karauli, Jodhpur, Jhunjhunu, Bharatpur, and Sri Ganganagar.

If these candidates win, Pilot's stature will grow significantly, and in that scenario, the post of state Congress chief might as well go to a leader of his choice, sources said.

Another point of discussion in the state's political circles is why Gehlot was appointed the observer for Amethi, while Pilot was sent to North East Delhi as the observer where the party has fielded former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

Many party workers feel that Gehlot’s proximity to the Gandhi family was the reason for sending him to Amethi, which used to be a Congress bastion before BJP's Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi there in 2019.

However, Pilot was also seen campaigning for Rahul Gandhi in Raebareli recently, which somewhat silenced those questioning Pilot’s close connection with the Gandhi family scion.

Earlier, there was speculation that Dotasra would be removed from the chair after the party's defeat in last year's Assembly polls. Now it is being said that the results of the Lok Sabha elections will decide his stature in state Congress, sources said.

"Wait till June 4, and you will get a clear picture. If Gehlot’s son wins from Jalore, his opinion will matter, and if Pilot's candidates win a few seats, he will emerge as the decision maker in selecting the new PCC chief," said a party worker.

--IANS

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