Phew. It's finally official. Ashok Gehlot, a veteran Congressman who has twice been Rajasthan's chief minister, will now return to the top job after five years of BJP rule. The new Rajasthan CM has had quite the career -- MP, Union junior minister and more -- and is sometimes called "Rajasthan's Gandhi" for his simple lifestyle and mass connect.

Gehlot, 67, is the MLA-elect from Sardarpura, the same constituency he represented in his first two terms. His appointment as chief minister-designate was announced on Friday evening, three days after votes cast in the November state election were counted.

His deputy chief minister will be Sachin Pilot, the state Congress president. Pilot, 41, was the other contender in the race for the CM's post.

.@ashokgehlot51 a stalwart of the Congress party has been elected CM of Rajasthan. We wish him the best as he takes on this new appointment with vigour, sincerity & a commitment to our democratic values. pic.twitter.com/eMvwuZYMM9 Congress (@INCIndia) December 14, 2018

Our best wishes to Shri @SachinPilot, the new Deputy CM of Rajasthan. A young & dedicated leader, he is sure to bring development, peace & happiness to the people of Rajasthan. pic.twitter.com/0UlcCDESFl Congress (@INCIndia) December 14, 2018

This isn't really a big surprise, though. Sources did say earlier that Gehlot and Pilot would be No 1 and No 2 in the new government.

The Congress and alliance partner Rashtriya Lok Dal together won 100 out of the 199 seats for which elections were held on December 7. The Bahujan Samaj Party, which won six seats, offered support to the Congress on Wednesday.

Losing Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the Congress is a major setback for the BJP, especially since a general election is due by May next year. In 2014, the BJP won all 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan. For now, a repeat of that performance looks difficult.

Inputs from Supriya Bhardwaj, Kumar Vikrant and PTI