Cong sends central observers to Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, MP

The Congress Tuesday sent central observers to Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to oversee the election of the legislature party leaders, sources said.

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge was sent as an observer for Chhattisgarh. Party leader KC Venugopal was appointed as an observer to Rajasthan and AK Antony was sent to Madhya Pradesh, they said.

The Congress legislature party comprising newly elected MLAs will meet on Wednesday to elect their respective leaders. The central observer will oversee the elections besides talking to the elected Congress MLAs and seeking their views, the sources said.

Party president Rahul Gandhi had earlier said that there would be no issue over the selection of chief ministers and it would be done smoothly.

A resurgent Congress Tuesday made significant gains in the Assembly elections, dealing a body blow to the BJP in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and was emerging as the largest party in Madhya Pradesh.

The reverses for the BJP in the Hindi heartland threw wide open the 2019 Lok Sabha elections which until a few months ago appeared to be in the grip of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party.