Clash between Pilot and Dudi delays ticket announcement; Gehlot to mediate on disputed seats

New Delhi, Nov 13: The Congress may release the list of its candidates for Rajasthan Assembly elections amid tension and clash between State Congress president Sachin Pilot and leader of opposition in the state Assembly Rameshwar Lal Dudi in the presence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Around 125 names have been cleared in the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting in New Delhi and it is likely to get announced any time soon.

The party sources said that out of total eight Assembly segments in the Jaipur Lok Sabha constituency, consensus has been arrived only on the Civil Lines Assembly seat while deliberations are still continuing on the rest of seats. The name of city party chief Pratap Singh Khachariyawas has been finalised from the Civil Lines seat. Sources said that actually Muslim candidates are claiming their share on the Muslim dominated seats like Kishanpole and Adarsh Nagar while the Congress wants to field just one Muslim candidate from Jaipur.

It is being speculated that from Kishanpole Assembly seat former MP and former minister in the state government Ask Ali Tank may be fielded once again. Sources further said that the CEC headed by party president Rahul Gandhi has given its approval for 125 names but due to dispute over some names between Pilot and Dudi it could not be declared. After Rahul Gandhi's instruction screening committee's meeting took place once again at late night to finalise the name.

Sources said that during the CEC meeting, there was a verbal dual between Pilot and Dudi on over half a dozen of Jat-dominated seats which was mediated by former chief minister and national general secretary Ashok Gehlot who later on has been entrusted with the responsibility of making consensus on these disputed seats after this clash between the two leaders.