The high-voltage drama surrounding the Congress party’s presidential chair is clearly heating up. Until today, Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress senior leader Ashok Gehlot and the party’s loyalist Shahi Tharoor were being regarded as the race’s frontrunners. Now, if reports are to be believed, Congress loyalist Digvijaya Singh has injected a new twist into the battle.
As per reports, the veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has confirmed that he was at the AICC headquarters in Delhi on Thursday, September 29 to collect the nomination papers. Speaking to reporters at the AICC headquarters in Delhi, he added that he will likely file the nomination on Friday.
Congress President poll: Digvijaya Singh to contest, file nomination tomorrow
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) September 29, 2022
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/4FSFUauUVH#Congress #DigvijayaSingh #CongressPresidentPolls pic.twitter.com/1hnsqXkWMe
“Today I have come here to collect the nomination form and will possibly file it tomorrow,” Singh said. Singh further maintained that the choice to run for the Congress President was his own and that he had no discussions with the Gandhi family about it.
Until now, Ashok Gehlot and Shashi Tharoor were being regarded as the two prominent prospects for the position. According to PTI, senior party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Kamal Nath, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mukul Wasnik, and Kumari Selja are all being considered for the position.
Now, the presence of Digvijaya Singh has heightened the stakes in the race, since G23 leader Shashi Tharoor is expected to register his nomination on Friday as well.
The news of Digvijaya Singh entering the fray started doing the rounds immediately after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced Thursday that he will not contest the Congress presidential polls.
Will not contest Congress president polls, says Ashok Gehlot
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) September 29, 2022
Read @ANI story | https://t.co/VmOCstrlmJ#AshokGehlot #CongressPresidentPolls #CongressPresident pic.twitter.com/qxeGj9IkAz
“I met Rahul Gandhi in Kochi & requested him to fight in the polls (for Congress President). When he didn’t accept, I said I’ll contest but now with that incident (Rajasthan Political Crisis), I’ve decided not to contest the elections,” Gehlot was quoted by ANI as saying.
I met Rahul Gandhi in Kochi & requested him to fight in the polls (for Congress President). When he didn’t accept, I said I’ll contest but now with that incident (#RajasthanPoliticalCrisis), I’ve decided not to contest the elections: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, in Delhi pic.twitter.com/2VnqTcQUAu
— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2022
I won’t contest these elections in this atmosphere, with moral responsibility, said Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. On being asked if he will remain Rajasthan CM, Gehlot said, “I won’t decide that, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will decide that.”
It may be recalled that last week, the Congress party has declared that no one from the Gandhi family will run for the post of the President of the age-old party.
On Wednesday, September 21, CM Gehlot expressed his intention to continue as the CM of Rajasthan even if he is elected as the chief of the Congress party. However, he gave up on his plan as Rahul Gandhi had made it clear that one person will hold a single post in the party. The confirmation of Gehlot had contributed to the bustle around the Rajasthan chief minister’s office, which the senior politician would have had to leave in accordance with the party’s Chintan Shivir reforms, which called for “one party, one post.”
