Rajasthan CM Race Live Updates: The Congress on Thursday night named veteran leader Kamal Nath as Madhya Pradesh's next Chief Minister after marathon consultations by the party chief Rahul Gandhi with senior leaders including Sonia Gandhi, but hectic parleys continued for the other two newly-won states - Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. While 72-year-old Nath reached Bhopal to get formally elected as leader of the Congress Legislative Party by the newly-elected MLAs in the night itself at a meeting also attended by another contender Jyotiraditya Scindia, the tussle between the old and the young guard continued to stymie the selection process for the chief ministerial face in Rajasthan.
Sachin Pilot, 41, reached Gandhi's official residence in Lutyens Delhi for a second time late in night. Soon after Pilot left, 67-year-old Ashok Gehlot also reached the Gandhi residence again, as the party leadership continued to discuss the claims by the two leaders for the top post in Rajasthan. Gandhi also held discussions with party leaders in Chhattisgarh Thursday to decide on the new chief minister for the state, the party sources said, but postponed the decision to Friday for holding wider discussions with the contenders.
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Dec 14, 2018 11:06 am (IST)
Half of the newly elected Mizoram MLAs are first time legislators | Half of the newly elected legislators in the Mizoram Assembly are first time MLAs. The Mizo National Front (MNF) which bagged 26 seats in the Assembly election has 14 first time MLAs. Five out of the eight Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) legislators are also first time MLAs. Of the five Congress MLAs, one will be a new entrant to the 40-member House. Among the 20 first-time legislators is T J Lalnuntluanga of the MNF who defeated outgoing Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla from Champhai South seat.
Dec 14, 2018 11:01 am (IST)
Sources said the Congress top brass was upset with the manner in which party workers resorted to arson and violence in the state in a bid to exert pressure on the party to name Pilot. They said this the first time such incidents have been reported in Rajasthan and the party has taken the matter seriously. The incidents of violence were reported in Jaipur, Dosa and other parts Thursday following which the Congress leadership asked both Pilot and Gehlot to issue appeal for peace. The party leaders feel the infighting in Rajasthan should end soon and called an amicable solution in the manner Jyotiraditya Scindia gracefully accepted the Congress's decision in Madhya Pradesh.
Dec 14, 2018 10:59 am (IST)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to hold a fresh round of discussions Friday with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, the two chief ministerial aspirants in Rajasthan, before taking a final call for the top post. The decision of Rajasthan's next chief minister is likely to be taken before noon and will be made public at a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in state capital Jaipur, sources said
Dec 14, 2018 10:24 am (IST)
KCR has appointed his son KT Rama Rao as the Party Working President of Telangana Rashtriya Samithi(TRS). K Chandrashekhar Rao, who is popularly known as KCR, took oath as the new Chief Minister of Telangana yesterday afternoon after his party TRS registered a thumping victory in the Assembly election this time.
The loss of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh to the Congress is inevitably going to loom large over the forthcoming interim budget, scheduled to be presented by finance minister Arun Jaitley on February 1.
Dec 14, 2018 9:41 am (IST)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet the senior leaders of Rajasthan at 10:30 today morning once again, as tensions persist within the party over the next Chief Minister of the state. He is expected to put matters to rest shortly after, by announcing the final pick of the party out of Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot for the post.
Dec 14, 2018 9:23 am (IST)
Kamal Nath Set to Take Oath | Kamal Nath is slated to take oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on December 17. The ceremony will take place at the La Parde ground of Bhopal. After a see-saw battle on Tuesday, Congress emerged as the single largest party in Madhya Pradesh with 114 seats, two short of a simple majority. The BJP, which had ruled the state for 15 years, got 109 seats.
Kamal Nath will take oath as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister on December 17 at Lal Parade Ground in Bhopal (file pic) pic.twitter.com/YHZKb0xcQB
The New CM of Rajasthan Will be Announced Today, Says Venugopal | Senior Congress leader and Rajasthan observer KC Venugopal told ANI that there would be a final decision on who would assume the office of chief minister in Rajasthan today morning. The intense tussle lies between veteran leader and two time CM of the state Ashok Gehlot, and youth gun Sachin Pilot, who is credited for ressuructing the Congress in Rajasthan after 2013.
Senior Congress leader and Rajasthan observer KC Venugopal said that there would be a final decision on who would assume the office of chief minister in Rajasthan on Friday morning
Rahul Gandhi will meet T S Singh Deo and Bhupesh Patel | In Chhattisgarh, some scuffles took place outside the residence of state party chief Bhupesh Baghel (57), who is one of the contenders apart from leader of opposition in outgoing assembly T S Singh Deo (66), OBC leader Tamradhwaj Sahu (69) and party veteran Charan Das Mahant (64). Rahul Gandhi will meet T S Singh Deo and Bhupesh Patel today, party leaders said.
Dec 14, 2018 9:11 am (IST)
The new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, will meet MP Governor Anandiben Patel at 10.30 am tday to take forward the government formation and discuss the details of swearing-in ceremony. Flanked by Jyotiraditya Scindia, the other senior leader from the state who was in contention for the top post, Nath said that as the new chief minister he would ensure all promises made by the Congress party are fulfilled and that Madhya Pradesh's future was secure. Asserting that the state unit of the party was united and there were no "camps", Nath said that he has no problems with Scindia and maintains good relations with all leaders in the state. When asked about the Congress's manifesto promise of farm loan waiver, he replied, "It is a challenging time and we will all together fulfil the promises made in our 'Vachan Patra'."
Dec 14, 2018 9:08 am (IST)
Decision Delayed in Rajasthan | Meanwhile, hetcic parleys continue for two remaining heartland states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Sources said the Congress decided to defer the decision in Rajasthan after Rahul Gandhi decided to hold further discussions with leaders, even as top contenders for the desert state, Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot met Gandhi for the second time late on Thursday night. Amid the political drama, Pilot supporters took to the streets in Rajasthan, demanding that he be crowned the chief minister. Party workers blocked a road in Karauli and also burnt tyres in support of Pilot. Sources also said the young leader was unrelenting in his demand for the CM's position, thought the party rubbished rumours and tried to put up a united house
Dec 14, 2018 9:05 am (IST)
Kamal Nath Declared CM in MP | The tussle for the chief minister’s chair ended in Madhya Pradesh late on Thursday night with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi picking veteran warhorse Kamal Nath for the top post, even as hectic parleys continued for Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The party has also announced that there will not be a Deputy Chief Minister in Madhya Pradesh. Kamal Nath won the assembly elections from Chhindwara constituency.
Kamal Nath the New Face of MP | Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Kamal Nath has been announced as the chief minister of the newly elected Congress government in the state. The party has also announced that there will not be a Deputy Chief Minister in Madhya Pradesh. Kamal Nath won the assembly elections from Chhindwara constituency.
Dec 13, 2018 11:01 pm (IST)
CLP Meeting Underway | Senior Congress leaders, including AK Antony, Digvijaya Singh, Shobha Oza, have arrived in Congress office in Bhopal to attend the Congress Legislature Party meeting. The CM announcement will be made shortly after the CLP meeting is over.
Dec 13, 2018 10:44 pm (IST)
Along with T S Singh Deo, Bhupesh Baghel and Charan Das Mahant have also been called to Delhi to meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi:
Singh Deo Called to Delhi | As Rahul Gandhi still grapples with the question of who will become the next CM in the three states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, T S Singh Deo has been called to New Delhi. Singh Deo will take the first flight out of Raipur tomorrow morning.
Dec 13, 2018 8:59 pm (IST)
Even before Rahul Gandhi has made the announcement, Ashok Gehlot supporters have already hung banners congratulating him on his appointment as the next chief minister of Rajasthan.
Dec 13, 2018 8:43 pm (IST)
Meanwhile, visuals from outside Congress party office in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh:
Dec 13, 2018 8:09 pm (IST)
Jyotiraditya Scindia on 'who will become the CM'?
Jyotiraditya Scindia on leaving Rahul Gandhi's residence: It is not a race, it is not about kursi, we are here to serve the people of Madhya Pradesh. I am leaving for Bhopal and you will get to know the decision today pic.twitter.com/6J7rVqXS2t
On leaving Rahul Gandhi's residence, Kamal Nath said, "I am leaving for Bhopal, MLAs meeting will be held and we will announce the CM name after that."
Dec 13, 2018 8:01 pm (IST)
Meanwhile, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi tweets an image of him posing with Madhya Pradesh CM candidates — Jyotiraditya Scindia (L) and Kamal Nath (R):
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.
'Poll Results Prove Ram Temple, Communal Polarisation Doesn't Cut Ice with People' | Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha on Thursday said there is a "great deal of agrarian distress" in the country that may have reflected in the voting pattern in the recent assembly polls, but asserted it will be a "grave error of judgement" to call Assembly results a trend-setter for Lok Sabha elections. Sinha also said that the election results, especially in the three Hindi heartland states, have "clearly proven" that Ram Temple issue or "communal polarisation" does not cut ice with the people.
Dec 13, 2018 7:09 pm (IST)
Meanwhile, CM contender Sachin Pilot has urged the media to "not spread rumours":
मीडिया के साथियो से आग्रह है कि कृपया अफवाहों को न प्रदर्शित करें और केवल प्रमाणित खबरों को ही चलाएं। इस समय अफवाहों को रोकने में आप हमारे साथी बने। आलाकमान द्वारा दिए गए फैसले का हम स्वागत करेंगे
'Enjoy the Suspense'| Addressing the media, Ashok Gehlot said, "Rahul will take the final call, till then, enjoy the suspense. You will find out soon who willk become the CM. Meanwhile, respective supporters should stay calm and maintain peace.
Dec 13, 2018 6:48 pm (IST)
Gehlot Rejects Reports of Conflict within Congress | Ashok Gehlot has arrived in Delhi. Talking to reporters, Gehlot claimed that the delay in CM appointment is due to the discussion being held as part of the "regular process" and that there is no hint of conflict among the Congress party men.
Dec 13, 2018 6:03 pm (IST)
Sachin Pilot Appeals to Supporters to Maintain Peace | Sachin Pilot has appealed to his party workers to maintain peace and decorum. He said, "I have full faith in the leadership, we will welcome whatever Rahul Gandhi ji and Sonia Gandhi ji decide. It is our responsibility to uphold the honour of the party, we are dedicated to the party."
Gandhi will meet T S Singh Deo and Bhupesh Patel, who are among the top contenders for Chhattisgarh, on Friday, party leaders said. Rahul's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also visited his house while intense parleys were on earlier in the day, but there was no confirmation whether she was a participant. As hours went by without an announcement, tension and sloganeering had risen among supporters of various contenders, spilling into violence in some areas of Rajasthan.
Pilot and Gehlot appealed to party workers to maintain peace and discipline, saying they have full faith in the party leadership and would abide by its final decision. After briefing Gandhi, AICC in-charge of Rajasthan, Avinash Pande, said: "We have given a detailed report on the views of party MLAs to the Congress president, who will take a final call on chief ministers. The decision will be announced at the legislature party meeting in Jaipur."
In Chhattisgarh, some scuffles took place outside the residence of state party chief Bhupesh Baghel (57), who is one of the contenders apart from leader of opposition in outgoing assembly T S Singh Deo (66), OBC leader Tamradhwaj Sahu (69) and party veteran Charan Das Mahant (64). For Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, one view within the party was to go ahead with the veterans like Gehlot and Nath, who is 72, as safer options keeping the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in mind, while others were rooting for young turks like Scindia and Pilot to send across a message of change.
"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," Gandhi had told reporters outside Parliament earlier in the day. Gandhi had 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.
Facing his first test within the Congress, Gandhi had started hectic deliberations with senior party leaders early Thursday morning and a final decision was expected by the evening to enable the oath-taking ceremonies at the earliest. The party has already staked its claim for forming governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
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