Ashok Gehlot To Visit Delhi Today After Convening Late-Night Meeting With MLAs


New Delhi: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will today arrive here to meet Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi ahead of the nominations for the election of new Congress president. His visit to the national capital comes hours after he held a late night meeting with party MLAs and has told Congress legislators that they will be called to Delhi if he decides to file his nomination for the post of party president.

Seen as the top contender for the post, the Rajasthan CM said that he will visit Kochi to persuade Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra there, to contest for the post. Gehlot said this during the meeting of Congress Legislature party at his residence late Tuesday night in Jaipur, reported the news agency as a state cabinet minister said. 

The meeting was held after the Chief Minister hosted a dinner for recently elected Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at his residence.

“The chief minister will first visit Kochi and urge Rahul Gandhi to contest for the party president post,” the cabinet minister said.

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After the meeting, state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas told reporters, “The chief minister said that if he files nomination for the party’s national president post, then legislators will get a message to reach New Delhi.” He said there is no anti-incumbency in the state and the chief minister was not away from people.

Gehlot will visit Delhi, Kerala, and Maharashtra and has directed the legislators to ensure that the Assembly functions smoothly, the state cabinet minister added. 

According to ABP News sources, the Rajasthan CM is expected to file his nomination on September 26. The process of filing nominations for the organisational elections in the Congress begins on September 24 and will end on September 30, and Gehlot is increasingly being seen as a top contender for the post of the party’s national president.

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Gehlot has however denied reports of his candidature and said that he will try to convince Rahul Gandhi for the post. 

The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17. The results will be out on October 19.