Congress presidential poll nominations end tomorrow: Party rushes to find consensus candidate

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, September 29

Hectic consultations began on Thursday morning to find a suitable consensus candidate for the forthcoming Congress presidential poll with efforts underway to convince Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot to take up the mantle and signals given to former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh to file his papers as part of Plan B.

Nominations for the party president post election end at 3 PM on Friday.

So far, there’s only Shashi Tharoor in the race and Gehlot, a previous consensus face, appears to be disinterested unless of course he is allowed to keep his current job.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi met AICC general secretary in charge of Organisation KC Venugopal this morning amid continuing discussions to replace the Rajasthan leadership which Gehlot camp is firmly resisting.

Senior general secretary of Congress Mukul Wasnik was, meanwhile, sent to engage Gehlot who is expected to meet Sonia later on Thursday.

The CM had yesterday described the Rajasthan crisis as a “party and family matter which would be solved soon.”

Sonia is working to convince Gehlot to lead the Congress and leave the decision of Rajasthan chief minister -ship on her.

Gehlot is reluctant to become party chief and argues that as party chief he needs a say in what happens in his home state else he would begin his innings as Congress president on a weak footing.

Rahul Gandhi’s insistence on one person one post is standing in the way of resolution of the imbroglio that involves the future of Gehlot and Congress.

Gehlot loyalists have proclaimed he would stay CM for a full five year term.

With the situation getting trickier Sonia Gandhi’s reconciliation skills would be put to ultimate test as she readies to vacate her seat for a new leader.

Sources say by tonight things should be clearer. Congress chief poll is scheduled for October 17.