Ashok Gehlot recommends speaker CP Joshi's name for Rajasthan CM post: Sources

Rajasthan speaker CP Joshi's name has been recommended by Ashok Gehlot for the post of CM. Ashok Gehlot may enter the All India Congress Committee (AICC) presidential poll fray.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has recommended the name of state Assembly speaker CP Joshi for the post of CM, sources told India Today. The development came after Ashok Gehlot met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday, hours after he indicated that he may enter the All India Congress Committee (AICC) presidential poll fray.

Ashok Gehlot may continue as CM till the end of February to present the last budget of the state government. Though Joshi and Gehlot shared sour relations in the past, the proximity between the leaders increased after Joshi helped Gehlot in saving his government in June 2020. When rebel MLAs were camping in Manesar, Joshi had issued a disqualification notice to 19 Congress rebel legislators, including former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot.

According to sources, Sonia Gandhi told Gehlot that the party's presidential election would be free and fair.

The principle of ‘one person one post’ will come up only when the candidate will be finalised and will win, Sonia Gandhi told Gehlot.

The race for the Congress president's post hotted up with Ashok Gehlot giving a clear indication that he could enter the poll fray and Shashi Tharoor meeting the party's poll panel chief to enquire about the nomination formalities.

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Responding to another question on whether he would stay on as chief minister, Gehlot said, "Wherever I stay in one post, 2 post, 3 post or nowhere, I don't mind, my wish will be to enter the field, tour with Rahul Gandhi ji, go on the yatra, call upon the people to hit the streets and open a front against these fascist people."