Congress president Sonia Gandhi has approved the name of former chief minister, Ashok Gehlot for Rajasthan's chief minister once again. The decision was taken after the newly elected Congress MLAs passed a resolution to make Gehlot the leader of state legislative party. The 57-year-old leader served the state of Rajasthan as the chief minister from 1998-2003. Ashok Gehlot was instrumental in bringing the Congress party back to power in Rajasthan.

 

The Congress party took back Rajasthan from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the assembly elections, winning 96 seats in a house of 200. After the announcement of his name, Ashok Gehlot assured the party supporters to offer a transparent and sensitive government in the state. He also assured that under his governance, he will put the utmost efforts to fulfill the promises made in the party’s election manifesto.

 

The news of Gehlot's nomination ushered a sense of joy and merriment in the Pradesh Congress Committee office at Jaipur. Meanwhile, Congress sources informed that two of the party MLAs will be named as the deputy chief ministers of Rajasthan. The date of formal swearing-in is yet to be decided. During the 2008 assembly election in Rajasthan the ruling party BJP suffered a shocking defeat, managing to secure only 78 seats.