In a tussle with his arch rival Sachin Pilot waiting to grab his post as promised by the Gandhis over a year ago, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday floated the name of Assembly Speaker CP Joshi, a former MP and ex-AICC general secretary, as his successor if he was elected as the Congress President in the election on October 17.
He has already given indication to enter the Congress president's poll fray after meeting Sonia Gandhi here on Wednesday and then flying to Kerala to meet Rahul Gandhi heading the Bharat Jodo Yatra to persuade him once again to better return as the Congress president.
Gehlot wants a smooth transition in the change of the chief minister and he is trying to block the prospects of Pilot getting the post because of his closeness to Rahul Gandhi.
In fact, Pilot has been waiting in the wing since past one year after both Rahul and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra assured to anoint him as the CM.
Pilot has been sending signals for his early elevation as the CM to give him enough time to revive the prospects of the Congress to win the Assembly elections the next year end, pointing out that he had made the party win the last elections as the state Congress president and he can do the magic again if he is at the helm of affairs.
Gehlot let out the name of Dr Joshi to be the CM after him as he was miffed at the TV channels started reporting that Pilot has he blessings of the Gandhis to take over as the Rajasthan CM.
He was also miffed by Rahul Gandhi telling the media at a press conference on Thursday in Kerala that Gehlot will have to step down as the CM if he wants to be the Congress president since it is not just an organisational position, but an ideological post and a belief system.
