From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday set into motion the process for the election of its new president, with the release of the list of electors by the state returning officers, four days ahead of the nomination from September 24 that will go on till September 30.
The contestants require the electors’ list since one can file the nomination with a minimum of 10 electors. There was a hue and cry as the list was kept under wraps and veteran Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry said on September 15 that the list has been given to the state returning officers for release on September 20.
Over 9,000 electors figure in the list who will cast their votes on the polling day on October 17 if there are more than one candidate.
On Tuesday, Congress chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh once again tweeted that anybody is free to contest in the organisational elections and “you don’t need permission from Rahul ji or Sonia ji to file your nomination papers as it is an open process and no permission is required.”
He highlighted that “Congress is the only party that has polls to elect its president unlike CPM and BJP.” Explaining the process of the elections, Jairam said: “We try to bring consensus. The best way to achieve it is by following the Kamaraj model. Polls will hapen on October 17 if there are more than 1 candidates.”
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday, was told by her that he is free to contest to be the party president as he does not need her permission. She is also believed to have told him that it is a false canard that she wants Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to be the new party president. She did not even call Gehlot to meet her in Delhi since her return from Italy two days ago.
There are, however, indications that Gehlot may enter the fray by filing his nomination papers on September 26.
