Congress president election Party may elect non-Gandhi chief

New Delhi, Aug 22
The challenge to elect a new president for the Congress party continues as party leader Rahul Gandhi is still reluctant to contest the polls. According to the details, Rahul Gandhi has yet not cleared his stance on whether he would take up the post or not.
The grand old party has completed preparations for the internal election process.
Sources have said, Rahul Gandhi is adamant on giving the post of president to a non-Gandhi. He is even preventing sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from filing a nomination, sources claimed.
At the same time, Sonia Gandhi does not want to hold the post due to health reasons and Rahul wants a non-Gandhi to hold the post in place of Sonia.
The Chairman of the Central Election Authority is waiting for a meeting of the Congress Working Committee which will announce the election dates for the post of chairman and then the authority will notify the same.
Sources said the process seems to remain stuck since Rahul is not willing to contest the election for the post of Congress president, although all the efforts to convince him are still going on.
Sources also said party leaders tried to convince Rahul Gandhi to take up the post. They consider Priyan-ka Gandhi as the second option.
If not either of them, the party may go ahead with Sonia Gandhi being the president till 2024, for the sake of party unity.
If the logjam continues, there may be an attempt to agree on one of the names of the leaders like Ashok Gehlot, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, Kumari Shailaja and Mukul Wasnik.
Congress plans Bharat Jodo Yatra
Meanwhile, Congress plans to embark on 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanya-kumari on September 7 under the leadership of party leader Rahul Gandhi and the 148-day march will culminate in Kashmir.
The five-month yatra is scheduled to cover a distance of 3,500 kilometre and more than 12 States. The march will cover a distance of 25 km every day.
The yatra will include padayatras, rallies, and public meetings which will be attended by senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The Congress suffered a debacle in the Assembly polls held earlier this year and the yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles.
India TV (with inputs from ANI)