Rajasthan Congress meeting to decide on Leader of Opposition in Assembly

Rajasthan Congress MLAs will be convening a meeting on Tuesday in Jaipur to analyse the party's performance in the state Assembly elections and choose a LoP

Rajasthan Congress MLAs will be convening a meeting at the party office in Jaipur for the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Tuesday, following the party's defeat in the state Assembly polls. This meeting is likely to see key discussions on the party's performance in the elections and decide on the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly.

Outgoing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, and senior leader Sachin Pilot are among the Congress members attending the meeting. Newly elected MLA are also expected to attend.

Outside the party's headquarters, Congress MLA Ashok Channa told reporters, "Some 10-15 seats were lost by 500-1000 votes. Congress getting votes on 80-90 seats shows that government schemes were good."

"In some places, the equation was disturbed due to independent candidates or caste combinations. This time, the Congress party gave a chance to the youth candidates and they have delivered," he added.

Brijendra Singh Ola, another Congress MLA, also stated, "We will review the reasons for the party's failure. For now, we will play the role of Opposition and will play it vigorously like he had done earlier also."

When asked about the impact of the dispute between former CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot on the election outcome, Brijendra Singh Ola mentioned that details would emerge during the detailed review.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a majority in Rajasthan, toppling the Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot in the recent assembly elections. While the BJP won 115 seats out of 199, the Congress managed to only secure 69 seats, continuing the state's tradition of alternating governments.

The Congress party also witnessed defeat against the BJP in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh but managed to secure a majority in Telangana.

The Rajasthan State Assembly elections for 199 of 200 seats were conducted in a single phase on November 25. The polling for the Karanpur Assembly seat in Sriganganagar of Rajasthan will be conducted on January 5, 2024, and votes will be counted on January 8.

(With agency inputs)