New Delhi, Nov 14 (UNI) In an effort to dispel any impression of a rift in the Congress in Rajasthan ahead of the assembly polls, senior party leader and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and state Congress President Sachin Pilot on Wednesday announced that they will contest the December 7 assembly elections in the state.
Addressing a joint press conference here, Mr Gehlot and Mr Pilot sought to dispel any impression of a rift in the Congress in Rajasthan.
"Both, I and Sachin Pilot will fight the Rajasthan assembly polls," Mr Gehlot said at the press conference.
Announcing the decision to contest assembly polls, Mr Pilot said,"with the instructions of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and on Gehlotji's request, I have decided to contest the assembly elections.'
Dispelling the impression of lack of unity in the state unit, the senior Congress leader from Rajasthan said,"Congress mein Phoot wali Baatein khatam hongi (all talk of division in the Congress will now stop). We all will together ensure a massive victory for the Congress in the upcoming polls.'
Attacking the Vasundhara Raje Government in the state, he said that the people of the state would give a befitting reply to the BJP in the assembly elections.
'The report card of the Vasundhara Raje regime is befoe the people. They will give their verdict on December 7,'he said.
Speaking on the occasion, AICC general secretary and the former Rajasthan Chief Minister said, 'the reports of infighting in the Rajasthan Congress are baseless and spread by the BJP. We are unitedly fighting the assembly elections.’’
Mr Gehlot, a two time Rajasthan Chief Minister, said in all the poll bound states, the response from the people to the Congress is extraordinary and the party is in good position in all five states.
'BJP is in a state of panic,'he said.
Asked why the party has not declared the name of its Chief Ministerial candidate in Rajasthan, Mr Gehlot said, ' there is a discipline in our party. It is the tradition of our party in Rajasthan since Independence that name of the Chief Ministerial candidate is not declared before the polls.'
Though, Mr Gehlot did not say from which constituency he will be contesting the polls, sources said that Mr Gehlot is likely to seek re-nomination from Sardarpura seat in Jodhpur.
No decision has yet been taken on Pilot’s constituency.

At the press conference, BJP MP from Dausa Harish Meena joined the Congress in the presence of Gehlot and Pilot.
The Dausa MP said he has joined the Congress unconditionally.

In an effort to check the divisions in the state congress, the party has not yet announced its chief ministerial candidate while the BJP is fighting polls under the leadership of chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
Results in Rajasthan will be announced on December 11.
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