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‘Hearing this from the media’: Ashok Gehlot on ‘Congress president post’ rumours
Rahul Gandhi refused to return as party president after he quit following the Congress’ defeat in the 2019 general elections
With Sonia Gandhi believed to be reluctant to return as the Congress president for another five-year term, and her son Rahul keener on being among the masses, speculations are rife that the grand old party of Indian politics may get a new face at the helm.
Amid these rumours, the name of senior party functionary and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has started doing the rounds as the front runner for the top post, but the Congress leader has played it down by saying that he isn’t aware of any such development.
“I am not aware of this. In fact, I am hearing this from the media. I am fulfilling the duties given to me, which include [that of a] senior observer for the Gujarat state elections and chief minister of Rajasthan,” Gehlot told reporters in Ahmedabad, where he is campaigning for the party ahead of the assembly elections later this year.
His reaction comes a day after meeting Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi for an hour-long discussion. Congress has to elect a new chief by September 20.
Rahul Gandhi refused to return as party president after he quit following the Congress’ defeat in the 2019 general elections.
Meanwhile, Congress’ organisation in-charge KC Venugopal said a virtual meeting of the working committee, presided over by Sonia Gandhi, will be held on Sunday to approve the schedule for the election of the president.
“A virtual meeting of the CWC will be held on the 28th August, 2022 at 3:30 PM, to approve the exact schedule of dates for the election of the Congress President. Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi will preside over the CWC meeting,” Venugopal said earlier on Wednesday.
Also Read:Congress president poll: No indication from Rahul of his interest in the top post
Congress’ Gujarat pitch
Taking a swipe at the Aam Aadmi Party over the debate on ‘revdi’, or freebies, being distributed before elections in Gujarat, Gehlot said, “There are social welfare schemes and they are present in other countries too, although I won’t like to comment much about this as the matter is in the Supreme Court.”
Gehlot said that the Congress will implement the Rajasthan model of development if voted to power in Gujarat, including a ₹10,000-crore special healthcare scheme for all government and private hospitals wherein a patient will be entitled to cashless treatment facility up to ₹10 lakh.
Venugopal, who is also in Gujarat, said that Rahul Gandhi will launch a 90-day countdown programme in the state in September, three months before the state polls.
“Seventy people have recently died in Gujarat after consuming illicit liquor. Gujarat ports are becoming a hub for drug mafias. Is this the BJP’s model for Gujarat? The Congress will start a 90-day countdown programme to protect and save Gujarat’s legacy. We will restore the Congress model that was in place 27 years before BJP’s rule. Rahul Gandhi will launch the campaign in Gujarat on September 5,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.
