When the contest opened, Congress was finalizing a replacement candidate for Gehlot, with Mallikarjun Kharge, a high leader of the Dalits, as the main contender. A person close to Kharge in Bengaluru said that “the family and the central electoral authority of the AICC” probed him and gathered details of him. An important AICC official also met with Kharge in the evening. Kumari Selja, Mukul Wasnik and Meira Kumar are in the running as alternatives. Nominations close on Friday.
Interestingly, senior official Digvijaya Singh collected the nomination form from the AICC office on Thursday and announced that he will file the documents.
The party may call another CLP meeting in Jaipur
Minutes after Rajasthani Prime Minister Ashok Gehlot “apologized” to party leader Sonia Gandhi for boycotting the CLP meeting on Sunday by his loyal MLAs, Congress announced it would soon make a decision on the issue. office of state CM. AICC secretary general, KC Venugopal, said the decision on the CM will be made “in a day or two”.
When Gehlot was asked after his meeting with Sonia if he would stay as CM, he told reporters that the congressman would decide on the matter. The remark sparked speculation that he may have offered to resign.
After Gehlot, aspiring CM Sachin Pilot also met Sonia on Thursday evening. He said he briefed the party leader in detail on developments in Jaipur and gave his feedback on the situation.
The leadership issue plunged state unity into a factional war, forcing the AICC to issue threatening disciplinary action. In a statement, Venugopal said: “All congressional leaders at any level are advised to refrain from making public statements against other leaders or on internal party issues. Strict disciplinary action will be initiated under the provisions of the constitution of the party. INC, if any violation of this notice “.
Gehlot’s renunciation of the run for AICC president seemed to solve parts of the Jaipur puzzle, as the issue of change in the state stemmed from his planned move to Delhi. But Venugopal’s observation suggested that it was not yet a closed matter.
The announcement has caused a new stir about whether Gehlot will continue to fill the role of CM or be eliminated, and whether his replacement will be his bete noire driver. It is believed that the AICC may convene another legislative party meeting in Jaipur.
He can field the competitor if the final candidate is not good: G23
NEW DELHI: Amid the confusion over the Congressional presidential candidate, G23 dissident leaders met Thursday night to discuss the issue. Anand Sharma from the G23 then met Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. G23 leaders said that “if the final candidate is not good,” one of them could submit the candidacy.
Earlier, when asked if he would stay as CM, Gehlot told reporters that Sonia would decide on the matter. The remark sparked speculation that he may have offered to resign. Interestingly, senior congressional leader Digvijaya Singh collected an appointment form and announced that he would file the documents.
He said his move was personal and not sanctioned or pushed by the party leadership – like the other likely candidate Shashi Tharoor – sparking rumors about a third candidate emerging as an “establishment choice”.
A dozen MLAs from Madhya Pradesh announced that they would leave for the capital to support Singh’s candidacy, indicating the seriousness of his intentions. The list of probabilities includes Meira Kumar, KC Venugopal, Pawan Bansal and Ambika Soni. “The final picture will only be clear by tomorrow (Friday),” said a senior congressional official.
Five days after the tumultuous events in Jaipur, Gehlot met Sonia Gandhi on Thursday. He later claimed that he apologized for the boycott of the CLP, in which his loyalists demanded that anyone other than Sachin Pilot, who led a rebellion in mid-2020, be appointed CM.
Gehlot said: “For the past 50 years, I have worked as a faithful soldier of the Congress since the days of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao and Soniaji, whether it is to become a central minister or a head of state unit, general secretary of the AICC or CM for the third time, I can’t forget it. The events that happened shook us all. Only I know how hurt I am because a message went out that I want to stay CM. ”
“I apologized to Soniaji because a simple resolution (authorizing the head of Congress to appoint the CM), which is our tradition and which we always share … a situation has emerged that could not be approved. I, as leader of the CLP, whatever the reasons, it was not possible to get approval for the resolution, “he said.
Digvijaya’s entry into the race sparked excitement with some saying the veteran has the profile and is a bigger name than Tharoor – a factor that would be crucial if it turned out to be “open competition” without a leader with backing. of the head of Congress.
Contradicting the party’s neutral stance, spokesman Gaurav Ballabh launched a new attack on Tharoor by questioning his candidacy. The party had previously made it known that Ballabh’s salvo against Tharoor had not been appreciated and had asked spokespersons to refrain from taking sides.
