NEW DELHI/THIRUVANATHAPURAM: With the process to file nomination papers for the Congress presidential election set to begin in a few days, Kochi is becoming the epicentre of action as everyone who matters in the party is or will be here.
Apart from Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the Bharat Jodo yatra, Rajasthan chief minister and official candidate of the Gandhi family Ashok Gehlot’s bete noir Sachin Pilot, Mallikarjun Kharge, Digvijaya Singh and Jairam Ramesh are here. Gehlot and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal are expected to arrive tomorrow.
Sachin Pilot, who reached on Tuesday night, is learnt to have held closed door discussions with Rahul twice during the day. He also took part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra. “Sachinji has urged Rahulji to take up the post of party president. He is still hopeful,’’ a KPCC leader close to the former told this newspaper. Sources said Pilot expressed strong displeasure at the wily Gehlot intending to stay on as CM while entering the presidential race.
While talking to this daily, Sachin said, “It is Rahulji’s decision whether he should contest or not.”
Earlier in the day, Gehlot indicated his candidature saying, “I am lucky that Congress people across the country love and trust me…So I won’t be able to say no. Jahan mujhe kahenge… form bharna hai, main form bharoonga (If they ask me to fill a form to contest, I will fill it and contest),’’ he said.
Gehlot said this after discussions with party president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi. He, however, added that he would still try to change Rahul’s mind. “There will be more impact if he undertakes the yatra as Congress president. I will talk to him, and then decide (on filing nomination papers),” he said.
Interestingly, Gehlot will visit the Sai Baba mandir in Shirdi on his way back from Kochi on Friday quite an indicator of the way things are panning out in the party.
‘No bar on staying as CM’
The one-man-one-post rule adopted at the party’s Udaipur meet applies to nominated posts only, Gehlot said, adding, “This is an open election.”
Tharoor at AICC HQ
Shashi Tharoor, the other contender, visited the AICC HQ to check out the voters’ list