New Delhi : All eyes will be on Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as he will be in New Delhi today to meet Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi. Gehlot’s visit comes amid speculations of him becoming a plausible contesting candidate in the Congress presidential polls.
Rajasthan Chief Minister called on a meeting with party MLAs late last night and has told legislators that they will be called to Delhi if he decides to file his nomination for the post of party president. Rajasthan CM also said he will go to Kochi to persuade Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra there, to contest for the party president post.
After the meeting, state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas told reporters: “The chief minister said that if he files nomination for the party’s national president post, then legislators will get a message to reach New Delhi.”
Gehlot is scheduled to go to Delhi, Kerala and Maharashtra, and has directed the legislators to ensure that the Assembly functions smoothly, Khachariyawas said.
The Rajasthan chief minister, however, has so far denied that he is a candidate and said he will try to convince Rahul Gandhi to contest.
The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee has taken the lead in passing a resolution backing Gandhi for the post, triggering similar expressions of support from the party units in several other states.
The process of filing nominations for the organisational elections in the Congress begins on September 24 and will end on September 30, and Gehlot is increasingly being seen as a top contender for the post of the party’s national president.
Bureau Report
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