From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot(71) on Thursday announced, after meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her residence here that he is pulling out from the contest for the Congress President’s post.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and currently Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh(75), who has become a contender in the Congress President’s election approached Gehlot, who was so far the front-runner, in the morning ahead of his meeting with Sonia and urged him to sign his nomination papers as a proposer. Gehlot was seen as the Gandhis’ first choice to head the party, until the rebellion of the party MLAs loyal to him damaged his chances.
Both arrived in Delhi Wednesday night, Digvijaya taking a break from the Bharat Jodo Yatra he has planned out and Gehlot from Jaipur after holding a meeting with his supporters to assure them that he would continue as the CM. Digvijaya also advised him to withdraw from the contest for the Congress President’s post in view of his supporters spoiling his prospects with the open rebellion posture on Sunday by boycotting the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting called in Jaipur by the party high command.
Digvijaya, a former Raja of small princely state of Raghogarh in Madhya Pradesh, had a word with Rahul Gandhi to take leave from the Yatra to file his nomination. He is careful to deny becoming the Gandhis’ candidate to take on Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor in the election.
He told reporters at the AICC headquarters that the decision to contest was solely his and he had not consulted anybody else. “I represent myself…The time is betwewen 11 and 3 on Friday when he will file the nominations.
Asked if it will be a face-off against Tharoor, Digvijaya quipped: “Wait and see till October 8, the last date of withdrawal.” He hinted to get elected unopposed.
Gehlot, a 3-time chief minister, described himself as a soldier of the party and expressed his sadness over the turn of affairs in the state.
“I had a conversation with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi. Whatever happened two days ago shocked us. It gave a message that all of it happened as I wanted to be chief minister. I apologised to her,” Gehlot told reporters outside Sonia Gandhi’s residence.
He said he had decided to contest to be the party president after Rahul declined his request in Kochi to fight the polls. “Whatever happened two daysa ago shocked all of us. It gave a message that all if it happened as I wanted to remain the chief minister. I apologised to her,” he said.
He has already sent out a clear message to her that the majority of Congress MLAs in Rajasthan are with him and they won’t accept his bete noire Sachin Pilot in his place. Pilot was called to 10 Janpath after Sonia’s meeting with Gehlot. In a clever reply on whether he will remain the chief minister, Gehlot said: “I won’t decide that. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will decide that.” He added that the party always works under the Congress President and decisions will be taken in the time to come. “I have always been a disciplined soldier of the Congress,” he said, adding that he apologised to Sonia profusely for the development in Rajasthan.
He said the Congress workers worry about the direction in which the country is heading and tackling the issues was more important, be it inflation, unemployment or dictatorial tendencies in the country. “Rahul Gandhi worries about them and about authors and journalists being called anti-national and jailed. We worry for them and Rahul Gandhi is on Yatra for them,” he said.
