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Ashok Gehlot has been named the next chief minister of Rajasthan by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, ending days of endless speculation.
Gehlot has been contesting from the Sardarpura constituency since 1999, and has never lost from that seat. This election, he won with a vote margin of over 40,000 votes.
Gehlot was first elected to Parliament in 1980, from where he went on to win Lok Sabha elections four more times.
He has earlier headed the Congress government in Rajasthan for two terms – in 1998 and 2008.
At the Centre, Gehlot has held ministries of tourism, civil aviation, sports and textiles between 1982 and 1993.
Sachin Pilot, meanwhile, will be the deputy chief minister.
Pilot, seen as the youth icon of the Grand Old Party, was known to be campaigning for over five lakh kilometres through the length and breadth of Rajasthan.
He contested the assembly election for the first time from Tonk constituency and won with a vote margin of over 54,000 votes.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Pilot was elected as the Member of Parliament from Ajmer. He won with a vote margin of over 76,000 votes.
Rajasthan voted on December 7 and the results were announced on December 11. The Congress won 99 seats, one short of the majority.
Pilot held parleys with Independents to ensure his party does not fall short of numbers after the party staked claim to form the government.
Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party also pledged support to Congress.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came in second with 73 seats. Outgoing chief minister Vasundhara Raje won from the Jhalrapatan constituency, her home turf.
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