Gehlot to be Rajasthan chief minister
Ashok Gehlot declared Rajasthan CM, yet to choose his deputies.
By ET Bureau |
JAIPUR/NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday declared Mr Ashok Gehlot as the Rajasthan chief minister but was yet to announce who would be his Jat and non-Jat deputies.
The Congress legislature party���s ���unanimous decision��� to name Mr Gehlot as its leader on Thursday evening came after clashes between his supporters and those of Jat leader Sis Ram Ola earlier in the day. The fight between the two groups threatened to overshadow a decision on the matter.
However, the party decided to name the CM in Jaipur in a bid to project the decision as ���totally democratic,��� as a senior leader put it. The announcement came after central observers led by leader Digvijay Singh met the newly-elected legislators one-on-one to determine how much support the chief ministerial hopefuls had.
Along with Mr Gehlot, a number of senior Jat leaders such as Mr Ola, Colonel Sona Ram, Hemaram Choudhury and Mahipal Maderna were in the race for the top spot. They are now in contention for the deputy CM���s post.
The Jat leadership had gone public with the demand for a ���kisan��� to be made the chief minister this time round. Mr Gehlot���s appointment as Rajasthan CM in 1998 had belied expectations of Jats, led by Parasram Maderna, who was made PCC chief. Jat backlash was cited as a reason for the 2003 poll loss the Congress suffered.
The NDA government���s decision to give OBC status to Rajasthan���s Jats was another factors which drove a bulk of the state���s 11% Jats into the BJP camp in 2003.
Even in this election, majority Jats voted for the BJP and Congress leaders from the community like Harendra Mirdha and Narayan Singh lost the election. However, with Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the Congress does not want to alienate the community and hence the formula of a deputy CM.
The other big lobby in the Rajasthan Congress is that of Brahmins, who are angling for deputy CM���s post. Mr Gehlot���s other competitors for the CM���s post such as PCC chief C P Joshi, who lost the election from Nathdwara by a vote, and National Women���s Commission chief Girija Vyas, hope to be accommodated.
The Congress legislature party���s ���unanimous decision��� to name Mr Gehlot as its leader on Thursday evening came after clashes between his supporters and those of Jat leader Sis Ram Ola earlier in the day. The fight between the two groups threatened to overshadow a decision on the matter.
However, the party decided to name the CM in Jaipur in a bid to project the decision as ���totally democratic,��� as a senior leader put it. The announcement came after central observers led by leader Digvijay Singh met the newly-elected legislators one-on-one to determine how much support the chief ministerial hopefuls had.
Along with Mr Gehlot, a number of senior Jat leaders such as Mr Ola, Colonel Sona Ram, Hemaram Choudhury and Mahipal Maderna were in the race for the top spot. They are now in contention for the deputy CM���s post.
The Jat leadership had gone public with the demand for a ���kisan��� to be made the chief minister this time round. Mr Gehlot���s appointment as Rajasthan CM in 1998 had belied expectations of Jats, led by Parasram Maderna, who was made PCC chief. Jat backlash was cited as a reason for the 2003 poll loss the Congress suffered.
The NDA government���s decision to give OBC status to Rajasthan���s Jats was another factors which drove a bulk of the state���s 11% Jats into the BJP camp in 2003.
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Even in this election, majority Jats voted for the BJP and Congress leaders from the community like Harendra Mirdha and Narayan Singh lost the election. However, with Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the Congress does not want to alienate the community and hence the formula of a deputy CM.
The other big lobby in the Rajasthan Congress is that of Brahmins, who are angling for deputy CM���s post. Mr Gehlot���s other competitors for the CM���s post such as PCC chief C P Joshi, who lost the election from Nathdwara by a vote, and National Women���s Commission chief Girija Vyas, hope to be accommodated.
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