With an eye on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul chose to play safe by going with the old guard in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as he selected veterans Kamal Nath and Ashok Gehlot for the posts of chief minister.
Sources said amid a clear tussle between the old guard and the young turks in the party for the top slot in the states, Gandhi opted for experience as the Congress merely touched the simple majority mark with the help of allies and independents in both the states.
Despite the stiff challenge to the veterans from Sachin Pilot and Jyotiraditya Scindia, who had led the campaigns in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh respectively, the Congress chief finally passed the test of brokering peace.
After hectic deliberations and several rounds of negotiations with the four CM-aspirants, Gandhi finally posted pictures of the smiling leaders in both the states.
Gandhi tweeted a picture with Nath and Scindia on Thursday, while quoting Leo Tolstoy to say that the two most powerful warriors are patience and time.
Similarly on Friday, after reaching a compromise formula between Gehlot and Pilot, he put out their picture with the caption "United colours of Rajasthan".
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While Scindia chose to stay away from the new MP government despite being offered a key post, Pilot settled for the deputy chief minister's post in Rajasthan.
Though the jury may still be out on whether Gandhi will put the young guns at the forefront of the party after the general elections, for now it appears he is banking on old loyalists to win the crucial 2019 polls.
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