Kamal Nath to be MP CM, dilemma persists on CM face in Raj

New Delhi:Two days after Congress emerged victorious in the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan,  Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, a final decision to persist on the choice of Chief Ministers in  Rajasthan,  even as party announced Kamal Nath as its chief minister in Madhya Pradesh. 

Amid much hustle and bustle late Thursday, a meeting at the Congress headquarters in Bhopal  of just-elected party legislators witnessed central observer AK Antony announcing Mr kamal  Nath's name as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader. 

Among those present were stalwarts Jyotiraditya Scindia, Digvijaya Singh and Arun Yadav.In a tweet later the congress party said,'' Our best wishes to @OfficeOfKNath for being elected CM of Madhya Pradesh. An era of change is upon MP with him at the helm.''

In Rajasthan, however,  logjam continued even after a late night meeting held by  congress president Rahul Gandhi with two chief ministerial aspirants  Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot .

Sources said a consensus on the Chief minister 's name could not be achieved with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot .refusing to budge from their claims.

They said an announcement of the chief minister has now been deferred to Friday.Earlier, talking to reporters in Parliament premises on Thursday morning,  Rahul said the state's would have a chief ministeri soon.

' We are checking, we are taking inputs from different people in the party, we are taking inputs from  MLAs, we are taking input from workers, we are getting a comprehensive answer to what the congress party and others feel," Mr Gandhi told reporters in Parliament premises on Thursday.

With the imbroglio on the issue till the evening Mr Gandhi held consultations with UPA chairperson and his mother Sonia Gandhi. 

His sister Priyanka Gandhi also visited his residence. The day saw Mr Gandhi holding meetings with two CM aspirants of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot as well as MP Chief Ministerial aspirants Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia to resolve the issue.

He also held separate meetings with AICC observers K C Venugopal for Rajasthan, A K Antony for Madhya Pradesh and Mallikarjun Kharge for Chhattisgarh.

The main tussle seemed to have surfaced in Rajasthan where both contenders for the top post Mr Gehlot and Mr Sachin Pilot were digging their heels.Party sources said that earlier on Thursday, Mr Venugopal and Avinash Pandey met Mr Gandhi at his residence at Tuglaq Road where they informed him about the views of the Congress MLAs in Rajasthan.Sources said Mr Gandhi has had discussions with AICC observer Mr Kharge for Chhattisgarh also.

The suspense over who will be the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh has  continued ever since the Congress legislators in the three states  authorising party president Mr Gandhi to take the final call.

The Congress observers on Wednesday held closed-door interactions with  the  Congress MLAs in MP and Rajasthan. However,  the legislature party of the fwo states left it for Rahul to take the final  decision.

While in Rajasthan,  Mr Gehlot  and  Mr Pilot are contenders for the position, in Madhya Pradesh,  the race was between Mr Nath  and Mr Scindia.

While the supporters of Mr Nath and Mr Gehlot had cited  their experience as the reason for making them chief minister, which would be crucial in stabilising the fragile new governments in both the states,  supporters of Mr Pilot and Mr Scindia were seeking a generational shift in leadership, saying it would send a positive signal to the youth.(UNI)