Veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath is learnt to have more or less been decided as the new chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.
According to sources, both the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party — which are supporting Congress’ government formation efforts in Madhya Pradesh — have clearly made their preference for a government headed by Kamal Nath.
His biggest rival, Jyothiraditya Scindia, is seen as someone lacking the political experience and heft of the veteran leader.
“Our aim was to ensure a Congress victory. Whatever the party decides is fine with me,” Scindia said, even as an official announcement on the chief minister’s post is yet to be made.
Kamal Nath, born in 1946, has been minister of urban development at the center.
An MP, he was elected as the president of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee in May, 2018 to lead the party in the 2018 assembly election.
Meanwhile, there is less clarity in the competition between Rajasthan veteran leader Ashok Gehlot and young leader Sachin Pilot.
Unlike Scindia, Pilot had been ‘sent’ to Rajasthan from Delhi a few years earlier and is seen as someone with a stronger claim on the CM post compared to Scindia.
In case of Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi is reported to be keen on Sachin Pilot, but a substantial section of local leaders in Rajasthan are keen on Gehlot.
It is also possible that Pilot could be made a deputy chief minister.