Rahul Gandhi Unlikely To Contest Cong President Polls; Tharoor-Gehlot To Face-Off ?

New Delhi: As Congress is set to hold its first presidential election in 22 years, interference from Gandhi family is unlikely to take part in the polls. According to media reports, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to contest the party’s presidential elections.

Meanwhile, party MP Shashi Tharoor and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot are likely the most appropriate persons to contest the party presidential polls.

This comes a day after Sonia Gandhi greenlit Tharoor’s candidature, reportedly saying that the Gandhi family will remain completely neutral in the contest.

Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi will not return to Delhi leaving the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Presently, the yatra is in Kerala and will enter Karnataka on September 29. The last date for filing a nomination is September 30.

Tharoor received interim-party president Sonia Gandhi’s go-ahead after he met her here.  Gehlot may file his nomination in the last week of September. However, he has always maintained that Rahul Gandhi should take over the reins of the party.

Meanwhile, various state units including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir among others have already passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to become the president of the party.