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Journalism of Courage
Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s signal that she and her children, Rahul and Priyanka, would remain neutral in the event of a contest for the Congress presidential election has prompted several leaders to at least weigh the options of entering the fray. A few are looking at the electoral college carefully, some are testing the waters while others are hoping for limelight.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor are expected to contest for the polls. While Manish Tewari is said to be examining the pros and cons, Digvijaya Singh is testing the waters. The names of Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge too are doing the rounds.
Interestingly, even Tharoor’s fellow G-23 leaders are suggesting that he should not be seen as the consensus candidate of the ginger group.
With Sonia telling Gehlot that the family would stay neutral and not sign the nomination papers of any candidate as proposers, some party leaders are now wondering “why Ashok Gehlot then” if he is not the official or establishment candidate. This even as at least one Congress leader today came out in open support of Gehlot.
Sonia had said the same to Tharoor, but he is seen more as the “underdog” who is mounting a challenge to the entrenched leaders and the system. It is more of a “statement,” one leader said.
Party national spokesperson Gourav Vallabh even took to Twitter to compare Tharoor and Gehlot to say that “if one has to choose between the two names that are appearing in public discussion, then there is no comparison between the two.”
He added: “On one hand, there is Ashok Gehlot who has the experience of being a Union minister, three times chief minister, five times MP, five times MLA, and who has defeated Modi-Shah in a direct contest and who has had 45 years of “spotless” political life… On the other hand, there is Shashi Tharoor sahib who has only one major contribution to the party in the last 8 years — sent letters to Congress President Sonia Gandhi ji when she was hospitalised.”
About the other names doing the rounds, a leader told The Indian Express: “With the Gandhis professing neutrality… a lot of other people who have aspirations may ask why Ashok Gehlot. Kamal Nath is as senior as Gehlot. Same is the case with Digvijaya Singh. Kharge, the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, is a veteran. He has been leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, a nine-time MLA and belongs to the Dalit community. It is not going to be so easy that you say Gehlot’s name and everybody will roll over and play dead… Everybody has a legitimate claim.”
Sources close to Kamal Nath said there was “pressure” on him from Congress leaders of several states to contest. He, however, is reportedly not keen on leaving Madhya Pradesh, where he wants to bring the Congress back to power in the Assembly elections due next year. Kamal Nath’s stint as Chief Minister after the last Assembly elections was short-lived following the exit of Jyotiraditya Scindia from the party in 2020, with over two dozen MLAs.
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Tewari, on the other hand, is said to be keenly observing the fast-paced developments within the organisation. Having been privy to the inner workings of the Congress system, Tewari knows well that a serious assessment of the support that he could potentially garner is important before making a serious bid.
Sources close to Kharge said he is not keen to enter the race. The one person, one post principle will apply to him too. Kharge, anyway, is said to be planning to reach Delhi next week and is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi.
Kharge is said to be very clear that he could even think about entering the fray only with the backing of the Gandhis.
