Bhubaneswar: Who is going to be the chief minister of Gujarat if Congress comes to power?
This is the million dollar question now going round in the Congress circle.
People in Odisha may not believe it. But, it is Sham Pitroda, the small boy Satyanaryan Gangaram Pitroda from Odisha’s Titlagarh is a front runner for the top post in Gujarat. Media reports from Delhi and Gujarat are projecting the name of Pitroda for the CM post in Gujarat on an eventuality of Congress coming to power in the state.
Presently, in the run up to the Gujarat assembly elections, Congress has no known face to project as its chief ministerial candidate. Shankarsingh Vaghela has resigned from Congress and contesting the election forming his own political outfit. Bharatsingh Solanki has opted out of the electoral race. Shaktisingh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia are known in their own areas.
The Congress rumour mill has it that Sam Pitroda is Rahul Gandhi’s nominee for chief minister. Pitroda, Rahul’s long-time mentor, is an OBC who was responsible for Gandhi’s recent successful tour of the US, and has now flow down to Gujurat to plan the election strategy. Some media reports have also mentioned Pitroda name for CM. Pitroda, 75, had many years ago renounced his American citizenship. But in the quagmire of state politics, Pitroda finds himself at a disadvantage. He reportedly recommended just one name for a ticket, Himanshu Vyas from Wadhwan, and even that was turned down.
Ptiroda, who was appointed as the technical advisory to the chief minister Naveen Patnaik with cabinet minister status, has resigned meanwhile.
