Mallikarjun Kharge files nomination for Congress president post

"I am going to file my nomination (for Congress president post)", Kharge told media persons while heading towards the party office.

Earlier, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Jharkhand leader KN Tripathi filed their nomination for the topmost position.

Ahead of filing his nomination, Tharoor had visited Raj Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi today.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Congress leader KN Tripathi also filed his nomination for the party''s topmost position and said that "the decision of party leaders is respected".

"I belong to a farmer''s family. The country is seeing that son of a farmer who has experience of serving with the Indian Air Force, minister in state government and elected as deputy leader of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, can also contest for the post of AICC President," Tripathi had said before filing his nominations today.

Earlier, former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot were also a part of the race which they eventually stated to have dropped.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister visited Kharge at his residence this morning. "I told him that I stand by him and can''t even think of contesting against him, I will be his proposer," Singh told reporters.

Congress MP Deepender S Hooda also said: "I welcome Mallikarjun Kharge''s nomination for Congress president post and am confident that he will get elected. Over the years, he has raised the voice of the people in Parliament. I''ve signed his nomination papers as a proposer."

Meanwhile, Gehlot had on Thursday said he is pulling out of the contest after he met with Sonia Gandhi and apologised to her 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.

Nominations for the post of Congress president close at 3 pm today and results will be declared on October 19.

With the Gandhis not running for the top post this time around, the grand old party is all set to get a non-Gandhi president after over 25 years. (ANI)