Gehlot, however, downplayed speculations around his candidature as “media created” and added the party will elect a new president when the situation arises and that there are many eminent leaders available to take up the responsibility. The meeting came amid growing buzz that the party is set to notify the elections for the new chief this week.
Meanwhile party general secretary (organisation) KC Venugal said on Wednesday that a meeting of the CWC had been scheduled for afternoon on August 28 to decide the exact dates of election of Congress president.
“A virtual meeting of the CWC will be held on the 28th August at 3:30pm, to approve the exact schedule of dates for the election of the Congress President. Congress President Sonia Gandhi will preside over the CWC meeting,” Venugopal said.
No non-Gandhi has been the Congress president since Sonia took over the party reins from Sitaram Kesri.
It is reliably learnt that some senior leaders messaged the Congress leadership — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi — on Tuesday, demanding that a member of the family accept the top post. There are concerns among party leaders thatpresidency outside the family would lead to further drift and could be serious trouble for organisational unity.
Gehlot, who has publicly dismissed the talk about his being a candidate for the Congress president’s post, is said to have met the Congress chief for half an hour, before leaving for Ahmedabad for a party programme, and will be back in the capital on Wednesday. He said his candidature has been floated by the media and reiterated that Rahul Gandhi should assume the top post in the interest of Congress. He is said to have asked Sonia again to convince Rahul to assume presidency.
Gehlot has been speculated as a top candidate for the post every time the talk of internal polls has cropped up over the past two years. But, it is said that a reluctant leader is unlikely to be thrust into the top job, and many names outside the family are being speculated, including a former CM from the north.
Watch Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot backs Rahul Gandhi as Congress president