High voter turnout in Rajasthan by-polls amid minor disruptions
Approximately 69.12 per cent of over 1.93 million eligible voters cast their ballots in the by-elections across seven assembly constituencies in Rajasthan on Wednesday.
Amid the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan, Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday reached Delhi from Jaipur, but the reason for his arrival has not yet been disclosed.
Earlier, Pilot denied media reports stating that he told the party high command that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot should not remain in office if he decides to contest the party presidential poll. It was earlier reported quoting the sources that Pilot had told the high command that it was his responsibility to bring the MLAs together.
Refuting the reports, the Congress leader said that he had spoken neither with the party’s high command nor with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. “Am afraid this is false news being reported”,” he tweeted.
Advertisement
Notably, Pilot is being seen as the successor of Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan which is engulfed by a political crisis triggered apparently by Gehlot agreeing to file his nomination in the Congress presidential polls and wanting a successor of his choice as CM in Rajasthan.
With party observers slamming some actions of loyalists of Chief Minister Gehlot, sources said the decision on issuing show cause notices to miffed MLAs, who have been vocal in public, will be taken after interim party Chief Sonia Gandhi looks into the report by the observers sent to the state.
However, nominations for the post of Congress president poll have been collected by Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor and AICC treasurer Pawan Bansal, but Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has not done so yet, said the party’s central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry on Tuesday.
Gehlot is likely to file his nominations for the polls on September 28, while Tharoor is expected to file his nomination on September 30. The election will be held on October 17, the result will be declared on October 19.
Advertisement
