Sachin Pilot

"It is a welcome development. This will boost party workers across the country. It has been a long standing demand of the workers to give her (Priyanka) an official role.

Speaking on the issue raised by deputy leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore during Zero Hour in the assembly, Pilot said the previous BJP government had passed a bill providing for reservation benefits to Gujjars and four other communities in jobs and educational institutes.

Pilot said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was stopped for the last three to four years but a special campaign has been initiated across the state from January 5 after which work days under the scheme increased to 23.46 lakh from 12.52 lakh.

"The NDA has weakened as its key constituents have left, whereas the parties in the UPA have expressed their faith in the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi," Pilot told reporters here.

"Upendra Kushwaha has quit the NDA, the TDP has already left and the Shiv Sena is also not with them. Now the BJP is under pressure and therefore they gave 17 seats in Bihar to the JD(U) which has only two MPs. What can be a fine example of insecurity than this," Pilot said.

Two days after being sworn in, the Congress government in Rajasthan Wednesday waived short-term crop loans from cooperative banks and loans of up to Rs 2 lakh taken by farmers from other banks.

Both young leaders were in the running for the chief ministerial post in their respective states.

After Congress' observer to the state K C Venugopal made the announcement at a media briefing here, Gehlot thanked Gandhi for giving him an opportunity to serve the people of the state for the third time and promised that he and Pilot will give "good governance".

Sachin Pilot named deputy CM. Rajasthan voted on December 7 and results were announced on December 11. The Congress won 99 seats, one short of majority

Gandhi met the two leaders separately thrice since on Thursday and is learnt to have decided the chief ministerial face in the state. But there was no immediate clarity on who would be the chief minister and it is likely to be announced by this evening.

According to sources, both Gehlot and Pilot were called by the Congress president for an amicable settlement to the issue amid a clear fight between the old and the young guard in the party.

The decision of Rajasthan's next chief minister is likely to be taken before noon and will be made public at a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in state capital Jaipur, sources said.

Mallya, who had accused politicians and the media of making him a 'poster boy' of bank default while presenting himself as the victim of a witch hunt, took to Twitter to congratulate the two young leaders of Congress, which defeated the ruling BJP in the assembly elections.

Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot is also a strong contender for the post. However, Gehlot looks set to return as chief minister of the western state for the third time.

The Congress president will first meet the party observers A K Antony for Madhya Pradesh and K C Venugopal for Rajasthan before meeting those in the race.

After the leads swung the Congress’ way on December 11, veteran leader Ashok Gehlot drove to Sachin Pilot’s house. Later, both prospective chief ministerial candidates were seen sipping tea together

Pilot, who served as minister in the UPA government in different capacities, accepted the challenge and refocused his attention from national politics to state level challenges.

"People have blessed us. We should get a comfortable majority in Rajasthan," Pilot told reporters here.

PCC president Sachin Pilot leading in Tonk seat with a margin of 2007 votes. BJP candidate and Transport Minister Yoonus Khan trailing.

Exit polls predicted a tight finish between the BJP and the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and a win for the opposition party in Rajasthan.