Election Results LIVE: CM Aspirants Pilot, Gehlot, Nath, Scindia Troop to Delhi as Rahul Tries to Keep Flock Intact

In Rajasthan, two-time former Chief Minister and General Secretary of All India Congress Committee Ashok Gehlot, and former Member of Parliament and Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot are in line for the CM post. One is a party veteran and the other is a popular young leader.

Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot have left for Delhi. They will meet Congress President Rahul Gandhi here. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/azdDj2FcKB

— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2018

KCR to Take Oath | KCR is going to take oath as the Chief Minister of Telangana today afternoon at 1 pm. His party, Telangana Rashtri Samiti registered a thumping victory, drubbing the Congress-TDP led 'People's Front' in the assembly polls. 

Tribal Factor in Chhattisgarh |  The constituencies with high population of Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) communities in Chhattisgarh, have contributed hugely in steering Congress towards a thumping victory in the state. The state has 29 seats- in the 90-member assembly- reserved for ST candidates, and the Congress won 25 of them, besides bagging seven of ten SC reserved seats. Both the leading parties- the BJP and Congress had been focusing on the tribal region- Bastar (south) and Surguja (north)- ahead of the polls to woo tribal communities that comprise around 32 per cent of the state's population and said to have always influenced the outcome of the assembly polls.

Zoramthanga to Take Oath as CM on Saturday | Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan on Wednesday formally invited MNF president Zoramthanga to form the government in Manipur. He will be sworn-in as the chief minister at the governor house at 12 noon on Saturday. Two-time Chief Minister Zoramthanga's party stunned the ruling Congress as it bagged 26 seats in the 40-member assembly bringing his party MNF, back in power after 10 years. 

In the two largest BJP-ruled states, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress has one popular young leader and one veteran vying for the top job, it might have to explore the possibility of a deputy chief minister to keep everyone in good humour.

Madhya Pradesh | After a see-saw battle on Tuesday, the Congress on Wednesday secured 114 seats, two short of a simple majority. The BJP, which had ruled the state for 15 years, got 109 seats. Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced their parties' support to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, where BSP has got two and SP one seat. The Congress has also claimed support of the four independents, all party rebels, who have emerged victorious.

Recap | The Congress emerged as the single-largest party in Rajasthan in Tuesday's vote count, winning 99 seats. Its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) won one seat for a total of 100 seats — the required number to form government. The BJP got 73 seats, and the Bahujan Samaj Party won 6 seats. BSP leader Mayawati pledged support for the Congress. The CPI(M) got two seats, Independents won 13 and other parties got 6, according to the state Election Commission. 

Central observers AK Antony for Madhya Pradesh and KC Venugopal for Rajasthan took the opinion of newly-elected MLAs, party leaders said. Senior party leaders in the national capital said the meetings of MLAs and authorising the party chief is part of an established process within the party for selecting the chief ministers.

In all the three states where Congress has emerged victorious signalling a newfound energy in the party ranks to stop the BJP juggernaut before the 2019 general elections, the newly elected MLAs met in the presence of party's central observers, while party leaders also met governors in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to stake government formation claims.

Schindia Expresses Interest in Top Post | In Madhya Pradesh, where three-time Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tendered his resignation to Governor Anandiben Patel, the Congress team that later met the governor to stake claim to form the government included two top contenders for the top job — Nath and Scindia. Scindia also later told reporters that a final decision was expected on Thursday but he did tell CNN-News18 that “it will be a privilege if given the chance to be Madhya Pradesh CM”.

Lets See What Happens: Sachin Pilot | After a late-night meeting, Pilot told waiting reporters that the process of getting the feedback was almost complete and the party high-command would take the final decision on Thursday. He did not give any direct reply to a pointed question on whether he was ready to take the responsibility, saying "Let's see, what happens".

Gandhi, on the other hand, has also reached out directly to the party workers in the three states to know their top choice for the chief minister’s post through an internal mobile messaging app, party leaders said.

Armed with numbers to form governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the elected Congress MLAs on Wednesday authorised party president Rahul Gandhi to decide the chief ministers as senior leaders, including top contenders, held hectic parleys through the day and till late at night. Party leaders say the names could now be announced on Thursday after Gandhi meets the observers appointed for the three states and other senior leaders.

Rahul Gandhi to Pick CMs of Rajasthan, MP | A big test awaits Congress president Rahul Gandhi today when he picks chief ministers for Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh from among four contenders, with either choices bound to unsettle cadre months before general elections. In Rajasthan, it’s a contest between experienced Ashok Gehlot and young gun Sachin Pilot, while in Madhya Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia has thrown his hat in the ring to challenge senior leader Kamal Nath. All four leaders will be in Delhi today to meet the Congress high command.

In the two largest BJP-ruled states, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress has one popular young leader and one veteran vying for the top job, it might have to explore the possibility of a deputy chief minister to keep everyone in good humour.

Randeep Surjewala on the appointment of chief ministers in three states:

Randeep Surjewala: After consulting everybody we'll give a CM candidate&a govt that truly reflects will of people of these 3 states.We'll start process of loan waiver, process of creating new employment opportunities&reconstruction of these states in accordance with people's will pic.twitter.com/r6Gty3Vo64

— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2018

The process of electing the Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan is presently ongoing. Congress party believes in the democratic process of knowing the viewpoint of each elected legislator. Senior leaders AK Antony, M Kharge, KC Venugopal along with General Secretary incharges have gone to their respective states: Randeep Surjewala

It's a normal procedure for Congress party legislators to give their feedback to observers. Observers give feedback to Congress President&then a final decision is taken. We've authorised Congress Pres to take a final view as to who will head CLP leaders of the party: Sachin Pilot

Ramdas Athawale claimed that though the Congress will better its tally in 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA will return to power under the leadership of Narendra Modi.

Congress delegation in Rajasthan meets Governor Kalyan Singh ahead of government formation.

Congress' Infight | Meanwhile, political drama has ensued in Rajasthan as supporters of Sachin Pilot are sloganeering outside the Pradesh Congress Committee for his appointment as the chief minister of the state. Despite repeated persuasion of the police to tackle the supporters, they have refused to budge. 

Congress delegation meets Governor Anandiben Patel today:

Bhopal: A 5-member delegation of Congress party, including Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Digvijaya Singh, met Governor Anandiben Patel today to stake their claim to form government in #MadhyaPradesh. pic.twitter.com/FAFiQnNtDa

— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2018

Congress observer for Chhattisgarh says there's 'no confusion':

Chhattisgarh: Mallikarjun Kharge,Congress observer for the state,reaches Raipur. He says "We'll take the consensus of all MLAs and senior leaders & then the High Command will take a decision (on CM)&we'll go according to that procedure. There's no confusion,our people are united" pic.twitter.com/3dn3DIj8Ex

— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2018

PM Modi Trumps Rahul in Wins from Seats They Rallied for | BJP may have lost Madhya Pradesh but its star campaigner Prime Minister Narendra Modi fared better than Congress president Rahul Gandhi in getting more candidates elected from constituencies where they addressed poll rallies. BJP candidates won in six of the 10 constituencies where Modi addressed rallies in the last leg of campaigning, while Congress emerged victorious in four of the 10 seats where Gandhi campaigned during the same period.

Defending the dismal performance of the BJP in the Hindi heartland, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Patna said, "In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan people tried to spread lies but despite that, we put up a good fight under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. The support that people gave us makes the fight ahead easier."

Rahul Gandhi will decide on Rajasthan Chief Minister tomorrow. The main contenders to the post of CM are youth's face Sachin Pilot and Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot

The Congress office in Raipur, Chhattisgarh is all illuminated after the assembly election results came out yesterday:

The Congress office in Raipur, Chhattisgarh is all illuminated after the assembly election results came out yesterday:

The Congress office in Raipur, Chhattisgarh is all illuminated after the assembly election results came out yesterday:

Congress in Celebratory Mode | The Congress office in Raipur is all decked up after the party's landslide victory in the Chhattisgarh assembly elections. The Congress is all set to form a government in the state after winning 68 seats out of a total of 90 in the state assembly elections.