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Will urge Rahul Gandhi again to become Congress chief: Gehlot
The Congress presidential election on October 17 is expected to be a contest between at least two candidates for the first time in 22 years
Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said he will again urge Rahul Gandhi to become the Congress president even as the Rajasthan chief minister is widely expected to file his nomination for the party’s presidential polls scheduled next month. He said the party has given him so much in the last 40 years that no post is important to him.
Gehlot, who will travel to Kochi on Thursday and meet Gandhi during his ongoing Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra, said he will serve the party and accept the responsibility he gets. “I am fortunate that Congressmen across the country have faith, love, and trust in me...that is why I will not be able to say no…wherever they will say...if they ask me to file nomination, I will do so. I have been given responsibility as chief minister, which I am fulfilling and will continue to,” he said in Delhi when asked about his nomination and the Gandhi family’s trust.
He said he will serve Congress, whether it is in Delhi or Rajasthan. “I have given everything to the party, and no post is not important to me. If it is up to me then I will not take any posts. …I will join Rahul Gandhi’s yatra… democracy is in danger,” said Gehlot, who met Congress legislators in Jaipur late on Tuesday and briefed them.
He said the “one man, one post” policy applies to nominated posts. “This is an election and open for all. Anyone can contest it be it an MP [member of Parliament], MLA [member of legislative assembly] or a minister…he can be a minister and also the party chief.” He said he has handled many posts.
In Kochi, Gehlot’s former deputy, Sachin Pilot, said Congress units across states have passed resolutions asking Gandhi to reconsider his decision not to run for the Congress president’s post. He said sentiments of the Congress leaders have been conveyed to the party. “…final call will be taken by the leadership. We have to see who files the nomination and what the electors decide. It is the only Congress which has elections like this.”
Pilot flew to Kochi to join Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress’s largest public contact exercise in years, amid uncertainty over the way forward in Rajasthan if Gehlot steps down as the chief minister. Pilot was removed as the deputy chief minister in 2020 after he revolted against Gehlot.
The Congress presidential election on October 17 is expected to be a contest between at least two candidates for the first time in 22 years. In 2000, Jitendra Prasada fought against Sonia Gandhi and lost.
On Monday, Shashi Tharoor met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and was told that the election would be held in a “fair and transparent” manner and anyone who wanted to contest may file their nomination. Tharoor is also widely expected to contest the election.
Gehlot will return to New Delhi on September 24 and be in the national capital till September 28. He is likely to file the nomination during this period.
State Congress units have adopted resolutions demanding Rahul Gandhi’s return to the party’s top post. Congress hopes the long-delayed polls will energise its grassroots network and reverse its poor electoral run ahead of the 2024 national polls.
