Rajasthan to get new CM? Crucial Congress meet at Gehlot's house today | 10 points

Will Ashok Gehlot resign from the chief minister's post before he files the nomination for the Congress president election? A key party meeting has been called at the residence of the chief minister today.

The Congress has called a crucial meeting of its legislative party in Rajasthan at chief minister Ashok Gehlot's residence on Sunday evening where the issue of a probable leadership change in the state will be taken up -- before Gehlot files the nomination for Congress president election. Mallikarjun Kharge, the observer appointed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Ajay Maken, the general secretary in charge, will be there. Sources said the leadership of the government going forward if Gehlot is elected as party chief, is likely to be on the meeting agenda, news agency PTI reported. Read: Gehlot confirms Congress president poll bid, Gandhis won't run

Sachin Pilot is the frontrunner to be the chief minister of Rajasthan if Congress goes for a leadership change in the state as Gehlot is all set to contest for the party top post. 

Gehlot versus Pilot: Here are the latest 10 updates

1. Sachin Pilot is the main contender for the chief minister's post if Ashok Gehlot has to resign. Pilot on Friday met Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi. Interestingly, Joshi's name is also doing the rounds. Joshi is a former state Congress president. Read | Tharoor vs Gehlot official: MP's team collects papers for Congress chief poll

2. Ashok Gehlot confirmed that he will be contesting in the election. 6n the question of what will happen in Rajasthan, he said the party will decide.

3. Earlier, Gehlot said a person can remain a minister while being the president of the party, but Rahul Gandhi issued a message in favour of one person, one post principle.

4. Gehlot said the debate over the one person, one post is unnecessary and all that he had said is that he would like to serve his home state Rajasthan all his life. "This debate is unnecessary. I have remained silent. If the media is to be believed, I do not want to relinquish the post of chief minister...But I have said this for sure, I say this even today and will maintain this even after I fill the (nomination) form (for Congress president polls), I belong to Rajasthan and I would like to serve the state all my life. What is wrong in saying this? People take a different meaning out of this. Media interprets it," he said.

5. Several Rajasthan ministers have now advocated that Gehlot can be retained as the chief minister even after he becomes the party's national president.

6. "Since elections are to be held in the state in a year, then if the high command gives him (Gehlot) both the posts (Congress President and chief minister) it will be more pleasant for us," Rajasthan minister Govind Ram Meghwal said.

7. Food and civil supplies minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said he along with several ministers does not want any leadership change in the state. "We will meet Sonia Gandhi ji and Rahul Gandhi ji to request that Rajasthan doesn't want leadership change. We will put our views. We will have to take works of Ashok Gehlot among people in the elections so there is no need for change in leadership," he said.

8. However, the minister said they do not have any problem with Sachin Pilot becoming the chief minister either. In fact, Pilot is being touted as the 'best face' by some ministers.n

9. If the question of leadership change is addressed today and a decision is taken, then Gehlot is likely to resign from the chief minister's post and file the nomination next week.

10. It will be a battle between Gehlot and Shashi Tharoor for the top Congress position. Tharoor's representative collected the nomination forms on Saturday. The election is likely to take place on October 17 and the new Congress chief will be announced on October 19.

(With agency and Bureau inputs)