Assembly Election Results 2018: Decision on Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh CMs today; Gehlot, Pilot head to Delhi

As the final decision on the names of chief ministers in the three states, where the Congress unseated the BJP to claim power, remains pending with Rahul Gandhi, top leaders of Rajasthan Congress flew into Delhi for a meeting with the party chief.

Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the top contenders for the CM's post, left Jaipur for Delhi early morning today to meet Rahul Gandhi. "Observers have taken everyone's opinion, in a peaceful way. Congress President Rahul Gandhi had to take a decision (on Rajasthan CM candidate), observers have arrived in Delhi. A discussion will be held and the decision will be taken today," Gehlot said. 

With numbers in place to form governments in the three states, the elected Congress MLAs on Wednesday authorised party president Rahul Gandhi to decide the chief ministers.

Mr Gandhi had dispatched central observers to the three state capitals to take feedback of newly-elected MLAs. The party chief also reached out directly to the party workers in the three states to know their top choice for the chief minister post through an internal mobile messaging app, party leaders said.

The names could now be announced today after Gandhi meets the observers appointed for the three states and other senior leaders.

In all the three states where Congress has emerged victorious signalling a newfound energy in the party ranks to stop the BJP juggernaut before the 2019 general elections, the newly-elected MLAs met in the presence of party's central observers, while party leaders also met governors in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to stake government formation claims.

Rajasthan

In Rajasthan, Pilot told waiting reporters after a late night meeting in Jaipur that the process of getting the feedback was almost complete and the party high-command would take the final decision on Thursday. 

The Congress emerged as the single-largest party in Rajasthan in Tuesday's vote count, winning 99 seats. It's ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) won one seat for a total of 100 seats -- the required number to form government. The BJP got 73 seats, and the Bahujan Samaj Party won 6 seats. BSP leader Mayawati on Wednesday pledged support for the Congress. The CPI(M) got two seats, Independents won 13 and other parties got 6, according to the state Election Commission. 

Madhya Pradesh

In Madhya Pradesh, where three-time Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tendered his resignation to Governor Anandiben Patel, the Congress team that later met the governor to stake government claim included two top contenders for the top job -- Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia. 

Scindia also later told reporters that a final decision was expected Thursday.

After a see-saw battle on Tuesday, Congress emerged as the single largest party in Madhya Pradesh with 114 seats, two short of a simple majority. The BJP, which had ruled the state for 15 years, got 109 seats. Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced their parties' support to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, where BSP has got two and SP one seat. Congress has also claimed support of the four independents, all party rebels, who have emerged victorious.

Chhattisgarh 

The MLAs in Chhattisgarh also met late evening in Raipur in presence of the party's central observer Mallikarjun Kharge. There are as many four names doing the round for the state chief minister post -- Lok Sabha member Tamradhwaj Sahu, state party chief Bhupesh Baghel, leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly TS Singhdeo and senior leader Charandas Mahant.

Belying predictions of exit polls, the Congress won convincingly in Chattisgarh, less so in Rajasthan, and scraped through with a wafer-thin lead in Madhya Pradesh, final results showed after the vote count on Tuesday. 

KCR to be sworn in today

Among other two states that also went to polls, K Chandrashekar Rao would be sworn in as Chief Minister on Thursday with his party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, storming back to power for the second consecutive term and with a bigger mandate. 

In Mizoram, where Mizo National Front has trounced Congress to wrest power of the hill state, the party president Zoramthanga would be sworn in as chief minister on Saturday.