Former Union Minister and Congress heavyweight Kamal Nath was named as the next Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday after several rounds of hectic parleys among the top leadership. Congress president Rahul Gandhi took this call late in the evening after holding talks with Nath and the other contender for the post, Jyotiraditya Scindia. The supporters of both leaders held day-long rallies in Bhopal in favour of their respective leaders, but ultimately Rahul was successful in brokering a peace.
In case of Rajasthan, confusion still prevails and both old guard Ashok Gehlot and new generation leader Sachin Pilot have dug in their heels for the top post in the State.
The announcement for the CM candidate for Chhattisgarh is likely to be taken on Friday morning, according to party’s Central observer Mallikarjun Kharge.
Central observer AK Antony made an announcement in this regard at the CLP meeting at around 11 pm.
Sources claimed that the oath taking ceremony would take place on December 17. Around 20 MLAs are likely to be inducted in the Cabinet.
Earlier, the whole day, confusion prevailed at the State party headquarters, as a meeting at New Delhi continued on deciding the name of the Chief Minister. It was told by the Congress leaders that a meeting of the CLP would be held at the PCC at 4 pm to declare the name of the Chief Minister.
Interestingly, all the Congress legislators who had reached the PCC in anticipation with CLP meeting at 4 pm, remained in the Congress office till 10.30 pm, when the CLP meeting took place.
Meanwhile, the supporters of both- PCC chief Kamal Nath and Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, who headed the party's poll committee during the just concluded Assembly polls, shouted slogans in front of the Congress office. Sources also claimed that former AICC Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi also remained present during the meeting at New Delhi. Finally, at around 8 pm, both Nath and Scindia came out of the meeting and left for Bhopal. They told media persons separately that there was no difference of opinion and claimed that an announcement regarding the post of chief minister would be made in Bhopal.
Central party observer and former Defence Minister AK Antony was on Wednesday in Bhopal to meet the new legislators after the Congress in a nail-biting finish defeated the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party by securing 114 seats but fell two seats short of a majority in the 230-member House. The meeting was expected to reach a consensus on the Chief Minister's name, however, that did not happen. Congress rebel MLAs, who won as Independent candidates in the November 28 polls, were also part of the CLP meet. Antony met every one individually.
During the day, Rahul held several rounds of marathon consultations with senior party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka, to select Chief Ministers for the three Hindi heartland States. Party sources said Nath was chosen over Scindia given the experience factor which was the need of the hour since the party has promised several freebies, including crucial farm loan waiver. The next year’s Lok Sabha elections also weighed heavily on the mind of the Congress leadership in opting for experienced Kamal Nath.
Early in the morning, the four main CM claimants belonging to the old and new generation cadre from MP and Rajasthan as well as AICC observers were closeted with Rahul at his residence. With supporters of the four contenders taking to streets, Rahul took to the social media to share a message “the two most powerful warriors are patience and time”. Quoting Leo Tolstoy, Rahul posted a picture of himself flanked by Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath.
Elected Congress MLAs in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had passed one-line resolutions authorising Rahul Gandhi to decide on Chief Ministers. Some party sources indicated that the Congress was also toying with formula to have Deputy Chief Ministers in these two States. In that case, Pilot could be offered the post of Dy CM of Rajasthan and Scindia for MP.
Chhattisgarh CM too could have a deputy since front runner Tamradhwaj Sahu, also a Lok Sabha member, is considered an “outsider” as he joined the grand old party after quitting the BJP.
Sources said Rahul also sought views of party workers through an internal messaging system with a pre-recorded message asking them to send their views directly to him through the application.
Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot, the two hopefuls for Rajasthan, appealed to the party workers to maintain peace and discipline, saying they have full faith in the party leadership and would abide by the final decision. Gehlot and Pilot both late in the evening left for Jaipur for another round of CLP meeting while Nath and Scindia too headed for their State capital Bhopal.
“The Congress president is talking to all leaders. It is a good thing that he is holding talk with all leaders before taking the decision on Chief Ministers...The process is on and a decision on Chief Ministers will be taken soon...The decision of the Congress president will be acceptable to all,” Gehlot and Pilot stated separately.
As hours went by without an announcement till evening, tension and sloganeering rose among supporters of various contenders, spilling into violence in some areas of Rajasthan. In Chhattisgarh too, some clashes took place outside the residence of State party chief Bhupesh Baghel (57), who is one of the contenders apart from Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly TS Singh Deo (66) and OBC leader Tamradhwaj Sahu.
While Rahul Gandhi met the party’s Central observers — KC Venugopal for Rajasthan and AK Antony for Madhya Pradesh — to seek their inputs on views of newly-elected legislators in the States, he separately met Gehlot, Pilot, Nath and Scindia at his Tughlak Lane house. Kharge too held discussion with Rahul and conveyed him the feelings of Chhattisgarh party MLAs.
“We are checking, taking inputs from different people in the party. We are taking inputs from MLAs and workers. We are getting a comprehensive answer to what the Congress party and others feel,” Rahul said.
