With just a day left for Congress presidential candidates to file nominations, reports have emerged that a third candidate will be in the fray. This came as Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot announced he was pulling out of the race following the fiasco in his home state.
The possibility of a third candidate appeared as some G-23 leaders held a meeting at the residence of Congress leader Anand Sharma on Thursday evening. Former union minister Manish Tewari, former Maharastra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and former Haryana Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda attended the meeting.
This meeting has sparked rumours that a leader from G-23 is likely to file nominations, reported ANI News.
On whether the G-23 will support the candidates whose names have already come up - Shashi Tharoor and Digvijaya Singh-Tewari said the decision will be taken at the right time.
"Nobody has filed a nomination yet. Once it is done, there will be contemplation," Tewari was quoted by ANI after the meeting.
Meanwhile, the name of Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, is being raised in certain circles. A "dark horse" with the tacit blessings of the leadership is likely to emerge as the third candidate, reported The Indian Express, suggesting that Kharge is the new face in the race. However, a final decision has not been taken yet.
Kharge is reportedly not averse to contesting but the final word will be Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi's, the report added.
The rumours that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, AICC general secretary, may contest too gained strength after Sonia was seen arriving at Priyanka’s residence Thursday evening before spending almost an hour with her. Earlier, some sections of the party had suggested that Priyanka should contest since she isn't a Gandhi anymore, but a Vadra.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Sachin Pilot met Sonia Gandhi Thursday evening to discuss the crisis in the party's Rajasthan unit. Pilot, who spent around an hour at Gandhi's residence where Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal was also present, said he conveyed his sentiments and gave his feedback to the party president. "I met Congress president Sonia Gandhi. She listened to me calmly. The events in Rajasthan were discussed in detail," Pilot said after the meeting.
