Congress prez polls: Ashok Gehlot out; Digvijaya versus Tharoor now

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot backs out from party presidential elections and takes moral responsibility for the political crisis in his state. With the veteran out of the race, the focus now shifts to Digvijaya Singh who is pitted against Shashi Tharoor.

New Delhi:With Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's exit from the Congress president polls, the focus has now shifted to another senior leader Digvijaya Singh who is pitted against MP Shashi Tharoor even as the two attempted to portray a camaraderie by meeting each other on Thursday.

Both of them are scheduled to submit their nomination papers for the upcoming presidential elections on Friday. Tharoor will visit 24 Akbar Road at 12.15 pm tomorrow. He will subsequently hold a press conference at 1.00 pm at his residence on 97 Lodhi Estate (opposite Airforce Bal Bharti Public School)

Singh will also file his nomination tomorrow between 11 am and 3 pm. Tharoor welcomed Singh's candidacy and said that both of them have agreed to consider it a friendly contest. On Thursday, Singh met Tharoor at the latter's residence.

"Received a visit from @digvijaya_28 ⁩ this afternoon. I welcome his candidacy for the Presidency of our Party. We both agreed that ours is not a battle between rivals but a friendly contest among colleagues. All we both want is that whoever prevails. @incIndia will win," Tharoor wrote tweeting a photograph of the two embracing each other. Former Jharkhand MLA KN Tripathi also took nomination papers on Thursday and could be the third entrant.

Gehlot, meanwhile, announced he will not contest as he took moral responsibility for the political crisis in his state, and said the decision on whether he would remain CM would be taken by party chief Sonia Gandhi. "I will not contest Congress presidential poll in view of recent developments in Rajasthan. I am deeply pained by what has happened (in Rajasthan). I will carry this pain throughout my life," Gehlot told media after meeting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence.

Gehlot told reporters that he apologised to Gandhi for the developments on Sunday when MLAs supporting him defied the central observers and thwarted their move to hold a meeting of party legislators. Instead, they held a parallel meet to pitch for Gehlot's continuation or the guarantee that his bete noire Sachin Pilot does not replace him.

Gehlot, a three-time state chief minister, described himself as a disciplined soldier of the party and expressed his sadness over the turn of events in the state. Asked if he will continue as chief minister, Gehlot said Gandhi will decide on the issue.

"In the last 50 years, I have worked as a loyal Congress soldier from the time of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao and Sonia ji, be it becoming a central minister or state unit chief, general secretary or CM for the third time, I cannot forget that. The events that happened (on Sunday) has shaken all of us. Only I know how hurt I am because a message went that I want to remain CM," Gehlot said.

"I have apologised to Sonia ji because a simple resolution, which is our tradition and which we always pass, a situation emerged that it could not be passed. I, as a CLP leader, whatever the reasons, could not get the resolution passed," he said. He also said that in the aftermath of the events, he has decided that he will not fight the party president polls.

Polling for the post will take place on October 17 while the result will be announced on October 19.