Team News Riveting
New Delhi, September 22
The move of Ashok Gehlot, the frontrunner for Congress chief post, would decide the direction of presidential election in the grand-old party.
Gehlot is determined to hold the post of Rajasthan chief minister while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has given an overt signal of following one-man-one-post principle in the party. In the given formula, Gehlot will have to leave the chief ministership. But what has made him wary is the indication that his rival Sachin Pilot can be his replacement in Jaipur.
Gehlot has given a rigid stance on the issue and has reportedly refused to accept his bête-noire Sachin Pilot as the next chief minister of Rajasthan. While he is not averse to continuing as both chief minister and party president, top sources reveal that he is absolutely clear that Pilot isn’t a wise choice.
Congress insiders told News Riveting that Gehlot’s meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi focussed on the same line. On Thursday, Gehlot met Rahul Gandhi in his last attempt to persuade taking over the command of Congress. On the sidelines, he also discussed his conditions to take over the reign of Congress.
If there are no further twists and turns, Gehlot will file his nomination on September 26, an auspicious day he has been suggested to do so. The nomination process starts on September 24 and ends on September 30.
The entry of Shashi Tharoor in the fray could change the equation at the last moment. Since Tharoor has not been the natural choice in the party, Digvijaya Singh can emerge as an alternative if the Gehlot plan falls through.
The party sources said there is no doubt that Digvijaya will be as formidable a candidate against Tharoor as Gehlot since both would like to join the fray following a tacit understanding with Rahul. Both sing the “loyalty tune” and are indeed part of the inner circle at this critical juncture as Singh is the chairman of Rahul’s ambitious Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister also has an advantage. While Gehlot is uncompromising on Rajasthan politics, Digvijaya comes without any preconditions.
