There is intense speculation about Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot having emerged as a front-runner for the post of Congress president even as it was announced on Wednesday that the Congress Working Committee will meet on August 28 to finalise the schedule for election of the party chief.
While there has been a buzz over the last several months that Gehlot had been sounded out by the Gandhis for the party president's post, the speculation became even more intense after he had a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday. The meeting assumed significance as it happened at a time when the party was on the verge of announcing the schedule for election to the post of party president and Rahul Gandhi made it clear that he is not ready to re-occupy the post.
It is being said Gehlot has emerged as Sonia's choice for the top post. He is one of the senior-most leaders in the party and has played the role of a sheet anchor for the Congress. Gehlot was the prime defender of Gandhis in trying times post the debacle in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Gehlot, one of the two chief ministers that the Congress has now, has been taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on political and policy matters regularly. Recently, when Sonia and Rahul were questioned by the Enforcement Directorate, he was stationed in Delhi to manage the party's response.
On his arrival in the national capital from Gujarat, where he had gone on a tour in his capacity as senior election observer for the party, Gehlot was asked about the speculation that he could take over as the new party chief, and his meeting with Sonia.
In his cautious response, Gehlot said, “This has been going on for some time in the media. Nobody so far knows what the decision will be. Sonia ji has gone abroad today for her health check-up. So, it was a courtesy call. Also, me and Venugopal ji were going to Gujarat. So we discussed Gujarat too with her.”
“I have been entrusted with two responsibilities. One is that of senior observer of Gujarat. I will keep fulfilling that, and elections are not far. The second responsibility is of chief minister of Rajasthan. I will keep fulfilling that and making efforts to see the government is repeated. Till a decision is taken and made official, neither you nor me can comment on it,” he said.
Interestingly, Gehlot did not issue an outright denial about the buzz that he could be the next party chief.
The Congress is set to get a new party president in September. A virtual meeting of the CWC will take place on August 28 to finalise the dates for the election of party chief. It will be presided over by Sonia, who left for London on Wednesday for a health check-up. There are strong indications that it will be a non-Gandhi since Rahul is learnt to have made it clear that he does not want to take over the reins and Sonia is reluctant to continue in the post because of health reasons.
It is being speculated if there will be a contest if a non-Gandhi name is pushed forth as the official nominee. There has been a discussion on whether the G-23 group of leaders, who have time and again expressed their dissatisfaction with the manner in which the party was being run, could put forth a nominee of their own.
