Why seek individual opinion if party chief to decide on CM, asks Rajasthan Cong MLA

Congress MLA Vishvendra Singh has expressed disagreement over the process of seeking opinion of party legislators to select the chief ministerial candidate in Rajasthan when party president Rahul Gandhi will decide the face for the coveted post.

Congress legislature party (CLP) in Rajasthan Wednesday passed a single-line resolution authorising the party national president to decide name of the chief minister.

"What is the point of seeking individual opinion from the MLAs when the decision is to be taken by the party high command? Why would I waste my time in giving my opinion to the party observer?" Singh asked after attending the CLP meeting.

A Jat leader, Singh has won Deeg-Kumher constituency of Bharatpur district.

Congress observer K C Venugopal is holding consultation with the party MLAs. The feedback collected from them will be shared with the party president Gandhi and then the announcement of the chief minister's name would be made.

"This is just a point of disagreement but I am not annoyed or unhappy with the party. I agree with the resolution that the party high command is authorised to take the decision but the exercise of the party observer meeting individual MLA to seek their opinion has no worth because the decision has to be taken by the party high command," he told PTI.

State Congress chief Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, both frontrunners for the post, were present in the meeting.

The name of the chief minister will be announced in the evening and a Congress delegation will meet Governor Kalyan Singh at 7 pm to stake claim on government.