Congress President Election: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s meeting with Sonia Gandhi to seek permission to contest for the party’s top post has gone down well with many party mates. AICC general secretary in-charge communication Jairam Ramesh apparently took a dig at Thiruvananthapuram MP saying, “Nobody needs anybody’s permission to contest elections.”
Sources said Tharoor met Sonia Gandhi on Monday and expressed her desire to contest the upcoming AICC chief election, while the Congress president said she would remain “neutral” in the election. He said Gandhi welcomed the idea of more people contesting the election and dispelled the notion that there would be an “official candidate”. Gandhi’s reaction to Tharoor’s willingness to contest is seen by many as encouraging him to contest and he may announce his candidature in the next few days.
On this, Ramesh tweeted, “The entire party is trying to make #BharatJodoYatra a success. Still, it needs to be reiterated. Any member is welcome to contest the election of Congress President. It is a democratic and transparent process. No one’s approval is needed. Especially for the party leadership to contest elections.”
Meanwhile, the ‘Make Rahul Gandhi AICC president’ chorus is growing louder in the Congress with over half a dozen state units so far, even as uncertainty and mystery remain as to whether he will hold the post. The Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Mumbai units of the party on Monday passed resolutions for his elevation to the post of President after Congress’ Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat units demanded Gandhi to be made party chief.