Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge will file nomination for the presidential poll on Friday. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said that he and P.L. Punia will be proposers for Kharge's candidature.
Kharge is likely to resign as Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha in line with the Congress's "one person, one post" rule, NDTV quoted sources as saying.
Earlier, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was in the fray, but the political crisis in his state led him to withdraw from the race. Kharge, along with Ajay Maken, had travelled to Rajasthan to resolve the issues.
Digvijaya Singh, who had expressed interest in contesting for the top post and collecting nomination papers on Thursday, pulled out of the race after visiting Kharge. "Kharge ji is my leader and my senior. I had asked him yesterday if he wanted to contest. He said no. I met him again today. I told him I am with you fully if you are contesting. I can't think of contesting against him. He is filing his nomination and I will be his proposer," said Singh.
MP Shashi Tharoor will also file his nomination papers on Friday. Polling will take place on October 17 and the result will be announced on October 19.
