Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot's OSD meets Sachin Pilot, seeks guidance for upcoming assembly polls

Jaipur: Ahead of the Rajasthan assembly election, Lokesh Sharma, the officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Sunday in Jaipur.

After meeting with the former Deputy CM Pilot, OSD Lokesh Sharma said that Sachin Pilot is a senior leader and he met him seeking his guidance and suggestions for the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

"Sachin Pilot is a senior leader. The party has made me the co-chairman of the Central War Room, hence I have come here to seek guidance and suggestions from him. His suggestions would help us to improve so that we can contest the election with full strength and preparation," Sharma told ANI.

When asked about whether he's contesting the elections or not, Sharma said that every active member wants to contest the election, however, the party will decide who will contest or not.

"Every active worker of the Congress Party wants to contest the elections and I also wish for the same but it is for the party to decide from where I will be given the opportunity," the co-chairman of the Central War Room said.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Saturday announced its first list of 33 candidates for the November 25 Assembly elections. CM Ashok Gehlot has been named the Congress candidate from the Sardarpura constituency while his former deputy Sachin Pilot will his nomination papers from the Tonk constituency.

Govind Singh Dotasra, a sitting minister and president of Rajasthan Congress Committee will contest the polls from Lachhmangarh.
Senior Congress leader and Assembly Speaker, CP Joshi, will contest from the Nathdwara seat while Divya Maderna and sitting minister Ashok Chandna will file their nominations from the Osian and Hindoli seats respectively.

Minister for Child Empowerment, Mamta Bhupesh, will contest from the Sikrai-SC seat.

The Congress came out tops in the last Assembly polls in 2018, bagging 99 seats in the 200-member Assembly to emerge as the largest single party. The BJP finished a close second at 73 seats.
The counting of votes for Rajasthan, along with four other poll-bound states, has been scheduled for December 3.