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Digvijaya Singh in race with Ashok Gehlot, Shashi Tharoor for Congress chief post, to meet Sonia Gandhi

On Wednesday, Gehlot indicated that he would abide by the wishes of party workers on whether to contest the poll. He, however, had also said that he would make one last-ditch effort to persuade Rahul Gandhi to take up the top post.

Digvijaya Singh in race with Ashok Gehlot, Shashi Tharoor for Congress chief post, to meet Sonia Gandhi AJR
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First Published Sep 22, 2022, 12:27 PM IST

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is all set to meet party chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Thursday amid speculation that he is likely to join his colleagues Ashok Gehlot and Shashi Tharoor as a candidate for the party president post. According to reports, Singh is expected to convey his intent to run for the party's key post, to Sonia Gandhi.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor have emerged as the key contenders for the top job in the Congress party after reports claimed that Rahul Gandhi has refused to take up to the post he quit after the Congress' debacle in 2019 Lok Sabah election.

Also read: Congress president election: Party issues notification; poll verdict on October 19

The two senior party leaders have also met Sonia Gandhi and expressed their desire to contest the poll while she conveyed that she would stay "neutral" in the October 17 election.

On Wednesday, Gehlot indicated that he would abide by the wishes of party workers on whether to contest the poll. He, however, had also said that he would make one last-ditch effort to persuade Rahul Gandhi to take up the top post.

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Speaking to reporters, Gehlot said, "The party and high command have given me everything. I have been on posts for 40-50 years. For me no post is important, I will fulfil any responsibility given to me by the party."

"If people in the party think I'm needed in the role of party president or CM, then I won't say no but I will again request Rahul Gandhi (to become Cong president). If he conducts Bharat Jodo Yatra as party president, then it will create an aura for the party," he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress' central election authority issued a notification for the AICC president polls.

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In the notification issued, Chairman of the Central Election Authority Madhusudan Mistry, under the power vested in him by provision of Article XVIII of the Constitution of the Indian National Congress, announced the election of the president of the party to be held as per the given schedule.

Digvijaya Singh in race with Ashok Gehlot, Shashi Tharoor for Congress chief post, to meet Sonia Gandhi AJR

The process for filing nominations for the election will be held from September 24 to 30. The date of scrutiny of the nomination papers would be on October 1, while the last date of withdrawal of nominations would be October 8.

The election, if there is more than one candidate, will be held on October 17 and the counting of votes and the declaration of results would be on October 19.

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