Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held a meeting with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Wednesday, signaling a potential entry into the upcoming AICC presidential elections. Sources indicate that discussions between Gehlot and Sonia Gandhi included the Congress presidential poll. Gehlot, who earlier arrived from Jaipur, expressed his willingness to file his nomination if the party desires and assigns him any responsibility.
Following the meeting, Gehlot is expected to travel to Mumbai later in the day and then proceed to Kochi on Thursday for a final attempt to persuade Rahul Gandhi to assume the party president’s role. While emphasizing his commitment to strengthen the Congress, Gehlot stated that he would make decisions aligned with the party’s interests.
In addressing Congress MLAs in Rajasthan on Tuesday, Gehlot conveyed that they would be summoned to New Delhi if he decides to file his nomination for the party’s presidential election. The meeting with Sonia Gandhi occurs a day before the Congress’s central election authority issues the notification for the All India Congress Committee (AICC) presidential poll.
With Shashi Tharoor indicating his intention to enter the fray after meeting Sonia Gandhi, the Congress is poised to witness a contest for the party chief position for the first time in over two decades. The nomination filing period is set from September 24 to September 30, with the scrutiny of papers scheduled for October 1 and the withdrawal deadline on October 8. If there are multiple candidates, the election is slated for October 17, and the results, if required, will be declared on October 19.