New Delhi, Aug 29 : The leaders of the Congress’ G-23, which was seeking wide-ranging changes in the party, appear to be in exit strategy with veterans such as Ghulam Nabi Azad leaving as well as Anand Sharma raising questions on electoral rolls, presumably giving loyalists a chance to race in the presidential elections with no one challenging the presidential candidate.As Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot emerges as the front contender for Congress President, he is seen as a possible choice of the interim chief Sonia Gandhi, even as some people want to see the return of Rahul Gandhi – with Gehlot also putting forward his name as the G-23 which was thought to have made a decision to nominate one candidate in the event that Gandhi stood and has now a lower chance of doing that as it is not certain that Sonia Gandhi’s decision is going to be contestable.
The last time an election was held for Congress President’s position was in 2000, when Jitendra Prasada has contested Sonia Gandhi but lost.
Some G-23 leaders have quit the party and a few have even joined the BJP while others removed themselves from the party.
Azad has said he was forced to leave the party and Manish Tewari has reaffirmed his position that he isn’t a tenant, but an investor in the G-23 party.However the G-23 following the departure of Azad has appeared to be becoming a bit leaderless.
In the meantime, Congress General Secretary, Organisation, K.C.Venugopal stated that the date for the election of the party chief has been announced and those who want to run for the office must file their nomination by September 30.
A portion of Congress leaders believe that Rahul Gandhi should be allowed to assume the presidency, with Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge saying that it is his personal opinion.Salman Khurshid has also expressed his support for him.
Rahul Gandhi has stated that he does not want to be a party president to accept an outsider to be the party’s President.
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