Ashok Gehlot To Be Rajasthan Chief Minister, Announcement Soon: Sources
NEW DELHI/JAIPUR, Dec 13: Ashok Gehlot is likely to be Rajasthan chief minister for the third time, Congress sources said today after Rahul Gandhi met both him and his rival Sachin Pilot in Delhi. The Congress president is expected to make an announcement shortly.
Sachin Pilot, the Rajasthan Congress chief who refused to back down in the race for the top job, was the first to meet with Rahul Gandhi and it was a "good meeting," sources told NDTV.
Two-time chief minister Ashok Gehlot was next. As the 67-year-old left, he had the job, say sources. He took a flight straight back to Jaipur.
Sachin Pilot, 41, is credited with rebuilding the party when "not a shade of grass for the Congress", in his words. He was made Rajasthan Congress chief after the Congress washout in the 2013 state election. He traveled over five lakh km while campaigning for the December 7 election.
But on Tuesday, as votes were counted in Rajasthan, the victory was not as emphatic as Sachin Pilot and the Congress had anticipated. The party's tally stopped at 99, one short of a majority. That made it critical for the party to make a careful choice, with the national election in mind.
Sachin Pilot, a former union minister in the Manmohan Singh government, did not go down without a fight. He repeatedly argued that most of the 99 Congress lawmakers in Rajasthan wanted to see him as chief minister.
Sources say Ashok Gehlot, a seasoned leader, enjoys the trust of party leaders who are looking for the best bet for the 2019 national election. The son of a magician, Mr Gehlot, as a young leader, was handpicked for Rajasthan by Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi.
The Congress general secretary is in charge of several party panels and training. He is known for his political management skills and his ability to keep the flock together. He is also known for his sardonic humour. When NDTV asked him, "kaun banega chief minister," he quipped: "That's the million dollar question."
Courtesy: www.ndtv.com
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India-Oman free trade pact to give new energy to bilateral relations: PM Modi
Muscat (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman will give new confidence and energy to the bilateral relations.
Speaking at the India-Oman Business Summit here, the visiting Prime Minister said the summit will give a new direction to the India-Oman partnership.
"Today, we are taking such a historic decision, the echo of which will be heard for many decades to come. Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that is, CEPA, will give our partnership new confidence and new energy in the 21st century," the prime minister said.
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He said India’s nature has always been progressive and self-driven.
Whenever India grows, it helps its friends grow as well, Modi said and added India is progressing towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy.
"This is beneficial for the entire world. However, it is even more beneficial for Oman because, in addition to being close friends, we are also maritime neighbours. Our people know each other well. We have generations of trust in our business relations, and we understand each other’s markets very well," he said.
Modi invited companies from Oman to become partner in the growth story. He said India's economy is growing at a high rate because over the past 11 years, India has not just changed policies, but has also changed its economic DNA.
He informed the gathering about the reforms, including GST and IBC, India has implemented in the recent years.
Modi arrived here on Wednesday on a two-day visit.
India-Oman bilateral trade was about USD 10.5 billion (exports USD 4 billion and imports USD 6.54 billion) in 2024-25.
#WATCH | Muscat, Oman: At the India-Oman Business Summit, PM Narendra Modi says, "Today, we are making a historic decision whose echo will be heard for decades to come. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will fill us with new trust and new energy in the 21st… pic.twitter.com/NkJNADb8Rn
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2025
