Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday, 22 September, while addressing questions about the party's presidential polls, said that decisions, including that of one-man, one-post, taken at the 'chintan shivir' at Udaipur in Rajasthan earlier this year are expected to be followed.
This can be seen as an indication towards Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is running for the party president's post. Gehlot is tipped to be the frontrunner for the post, but he is reluctant to give up the CM's post.
Gehlot, on Wednesday, met Congress President Sonia Gandhi, while his deputy and current rival in state politics, Sachin Pilot, was with Rahul Gandhi at the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kerala's Ernakulam district.
On being asked about whether he would stand by the decision on one-man, one-post, Gandhi, who is the MP from Wayanad said, "What we decided at Udaipur, we expect that commitment to be maintained."
Gandhi was addressing a press conference held between the first and second leg of the day's Bharat Jodo Yatra.
This comes as Congress on Thursday issued a notification for the presidential elections.
Gandhi further added that the post of the Congress president is not just an organisational position, but an ideological post, and a belief system.
He also said that whosoever becomes the president of the party should remember that the post represents a set of ideas, a belief system, and a vision of India.
Senior party leaders Ashok Gehlot and Shashi Tharoor are being seen as potential contenders for the president's post.
On being asked about a piece of advice for contestants, Gandhi said, "You're taking a historic position. A position that defines and has defined a particular view of India."
When asked about the nationwide raid on the Popular Front of India (PFI) by the National Investigating Agency, Gandhi said that "all forms of communalism regardless where they come from should be combated. There should be zero tolerance towards communalism and it should be combated."
Congress President Polls
According to the notification, the process for filing nominations for the post of the party president will be held from 24-30 September. It will be followed by the scrutiny of the nomination papers on 1 October, whereas the last date to withdraw nomination would be 8 October. The final list of candidates would be published at 5 pm on 8 October. If required, the polling will take place on 17 October.
Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee delegates will vote in the elections. Congress has said that those wanting to file nomination will be able to see the list of all the 9,000 delegates from the office of central election authority at the AICC office from 20 September.
The contest for the party president's post is set to take place after almost over two decades.
The party last saw a contest for the post in November 2000. Jitendra Prasada had lost to Sonia Gandhi in 2000, and prior to that Sitaram Kesri had defeated Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot in 1997.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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