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A day before the filing of the nomination for the Congress presidential race, Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Thursday made it clear that the Gandhi family will remain our leader whosoever becomes the president of the party.
Digvijaya Singh said, "I'm here to file (nomination) form, and then I'll return to join Bharat Jodo Yatra. Every PCC delegate has the right to contest presidential elections. I've not discussed my nomination with the Nehru-Gandhi family. I met many senior leaders including AK Antony and Kharge". "The Nehru-Gandhi family will remain our leader. Whoever becomes the party president will work under their leadership...Our priority is to see how the situation in the country improves, won't let the country divide or the constitution weaken," he said. Earlier, Rajasthan Congress MLA Sachin Pilot met the party's interim chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence. This comes after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot withdrew his candidature from the presidential elections after a rebellion by Ashok Gehlot loyalists triggered a crisis in Congress's Rajasthan unit. Gehlot also apologised for the ruckus in Rajasthan triggered by his loyalists over a possible leadership change in the state after Gehlot was set to file his nomination papers for the Congress chief polls. "I met Rahul Gandhi in Kochi and requested him to fight the polls (for Congress President). When he didn't accept, I said I'll contest but now with that incident (political crisis in Rajasthan), I have decided not to contest the elections," CM Gehlot said. Gehlot said that whatever happened in the state in the past two days had shocked everyone. On the other hand, Congress leader KC Venugopal on Thursday met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in the national capital. He had previously met Gandhi on Monday to discuss the political turmoil in Rajasthan. Venugopal's meeting with Gandhi came a day before the final date for filing nominations for the top post in the Congress party. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor announced that he will submit his nomination for the post at 12.15 pm tomorrow. He will subsequently hold a press conference at 1.00 pm at his residence on 97 Lodhi Estate (opposite Airforce Bal Bharti Public School) Tharoor welcomed Singh's candidacy and said that both of them have agreed to consider it a friendly contest. "Received a visit from @digvijaya_28 this afternoon. I welcome his candidacy for the Presidency of our Party. We both agreed that ours is not a battle between rivals but a friendly contest among colleagues. All we both want is that whoever prevails, @incIndia will win!", Tharoor tweeted. The filing of nominations for the top Congress post will take place till September 30 and the election will take place on October 17. (ANI)
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