In Rajasthan, state assembly elections are to be held in November this year. As the dates for elections draw nearer, ex-Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in the Indian National Congress (INC) are the 2 faces who are most likely to be their CM candidates.
Both the politicians represent two different generations of Indian politics.
Veteran Congress leader and newly assigned General Secretary of the INC Ashok Gehlot has rounded political corridors at the national level after his crucial role in the Gujarat assembly elections and emerging as the key strategist in the Karnataka assembly elections, 2018.
Ashok Gehlot is from the Maali community which doesn’t have much vote calculation but his roots, politics and experience tilt the arguments in his favour.
Ashok Gehlot also made history by becoming the first Indian leader to confront the the PM after the Jan Aakrosh Rally of the INC on the April 29 which was lead and planned under his supervision.
Sachin Pilot is the president of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC). He is the son of the former minister and veteran Congress leader Rajesh Pilot and has toured alot for the party after the 2013 elections.
Sachin Pilot hails from the Gurjar community and he is also the son-in-law of former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah. He has a strong claim to be the CM candidate due to his appeal among the youth in the state. The state Congress President has worked hard to strengthen the Congress at the ground level.
The current BJP government lost the bypolls held for three seats – Ajmer, Mandalgarh, Alwar and Congress marked a bumping win.
The state of politics in Rajasthan has always been communal. Anandpal Singh’s encounter and the “Padmaavat” movie issues affected the BJP’s hold on the Rajputs as a traditional vote bank. This was reflected in the bypolls result for those 3 constituencies. After the March 2 ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by SC/ST groups, Dalits have also shifted from the BJP vote track.
Hanuman Beniwal, independent MLA from Khinwsar has emerged as a strong Jat community and kisan neta (farmer leader). He has raised a call for a third front in
The BJP has not yet announced for its new state CM candidate while workers are suffering.
But the state Congress is suffering from an internal tug of war for the CM candidate between former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and State Congress President Sachin Pilot. The party hasn’t named anyone yet for the position
Who do you think is the better choice – Ashok Gehlot or Sachin Pilot?