Contest between Ashok Gehlot n Tharoor. Rajasthan CM’s last bit to convince Rahul Gandhi to agree to contest !
The election date of the national president of Congress is reaching near with the official schedule of the election process having been declared. According to the election schedule declared today by the returning officer of the election of Congress president Madhusudan Mistry the date of election is 17 th October while the counting will take place on 19 th October from 10.00 AM. The date of notification in 22 nd September and the filing of nominations will take place on 24 th September to 30 th September daily from 11.00 AM to 3 PM. On 1 st October will be the scrutiny of nominations with 8 th October being the last day for withdrawal till 3.00 PM.
Meanwhile presently there are mainly two contenders in the fray for the post of Congress president, though some others may also contest says news reports.
The Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot who is the sole choice of Gandhi family and has formally made up his mind had met the Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday having got her nod. The deliberations lasted for an hour or so. He is going to Kerala, Kochi to meet the former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to make his last try but sources say despite the urge of senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Digvijay Singh and Ashok Gehlot etc Rahul Gandhi has made catagorically clear that he will not contest. However, Ashok Gehlot is still trying to make his leader agree to contest for the president’s post the chances of which seem to be bleak.
There are also reports of veteran leader Digvijay Singh meeting Sonia Gandhi. Kindly recall that Rahul Gandhi these days is extremely busy with his successful Bharat jodo Yatra in Kerala acknowledging tremendous response with thousands of men, women n even children jubilantly joining him in curiosity taking pictures with him and even autographs. The saffron party though it doesn’t have any stake in Kerala n Tamilnadu and its leaders are afraid about Rahul Gandhi’s increasing political influence in Southern states and his incoming Karnataka Bharat Jodo yatra where BJP is ruling. There are reports that Shashi Tharoor who is also likely to contest is not getting enough support even by G 23 leaders. Shashi Tharoor had also met Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath and had sought her permission to contest to which she agreed say news reports. However, Shashi Tharoor is actively participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra with Rahul Gandhi in Kerala. In an article written in The Matrabhoomi few days ago Shashi Tharoor has urged the leadership to ensure that the elections to the post of the Congress president should be transparent, free n fair. He had also urged to make published c the list of the delegates n members of AICC to be participating in this election.
