Sachin Pilot to become new Rajasthan CM? Key Congress meet at Gehlot's house today

Jaipur, Sep 25: Congress has called for a key meeting of its legislative party in Rajasthan at chief minister Ashok Gehlot's residence on Sunday where the issue of a probable leadership change in the state will be taken up before Gehlot files the nomination for Congress president election.

Mallikarjun Kharge, appointed as an observer along with general secretary in-charge Rajasthan Ajay Maken will attend the meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.

This is the second CLP meeting within a week. The last meeting was held on September 20.

The leadership of the government going forward, if Gehlot is elected as party chief, is likely to be on the meeting agenda.

Gehlot became the first person to announce his candidature for the AICC presidential poll on Friday and said former president Rahul Gandhi has told him that no one from the Gandhi family should become the next party chief.

The chief minister also said that the call on his successor will be taken by Sonia Gandhi and Maken.

Gehlot's remarks came a day after Rahul Gandhi batted for the "one man, one post" concept in the party, in line with the 'Chintan Shivir' reforms.

Talking to reporters in Kochi, Gehlot had said, "I will fix the date (to submit the nomination papers) after going back (to Rajasthan), but I have decided that I will have to contest. It is a question of democracy and let us make a new start." Later in the day, Gehlot told reporters in Shirdi that the debate on "one man, one post" is unnecessary and that he would like to serve the people of his state all his life.

He also said his statements on wanting to serve the people of Rajasthan are being interpreted in different ways.

Interestingly, Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday met Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi amid speculations of a change of guard in the state.

Pilot had met Joshi in his chamber in the state Assembly, where several party MLAs were also present.

Pilot is the main contender for the chief minister's post but Joshi's name is also doing the rounds.

Joshi is a former state Congress president and was a contender for the post in 2008 but lost the Assembly elections by one vote at that time.

After over two decades, the Congress is set to see a contest for the post of party chief with Gehlot, who has announced his candidature, expected to take on Shashi Tharoor, who had the nomination forms collected from AICC headquarters in Delhi on Saturday.