Cong issues notification for its prez poll; Rahul says post 'ideological'
New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday set the ball rolling for electing its chief by issuing a notification and a contest for the top party post appeared imminent after a gap of over two decades with senior leaders Ashok Gehlot and Shashi Tharoor looking set for an electoral face-off.
In comments seen as yet another indication that he may not contest, Rahul Gandhi told those willing to run for the party presidency that the post was not just organisational but also "ideological" and that the person occupying it must remember that it represents a belief system.
Responding to a question at a presser in Kochi on what would be his advice to those contesting the poll, he said: "You are taking on a position which is a historic one, and it is a position that defines and has defined a particular view of India. The Congress president is not just an organisational post, the Congress president is an ideological post."
He further added: "It is a belief system. So, my advice would be that whoever becomes Congress president should remember that he represents the set of ideas, he represents a belief system and he represents a vision of India."
In his remarks, Gandhi also said the media only asks about internal polls from the Congress and not from the BJP, SP or BSP.
Rahul also batted for the "one-man, one-post" concept in line with the Chintan Shivir reforms earlier this year. His assertion came a day after Gehlot hinted that he would like to continue as the chief minister even while assuming the post of party president.
His definitive remark indicated that Gehlot may have to quit as chief minister if he takes on the mantle of party president but suspense persisted over whether he would get a person of his choice to helm the Rajasthan government, or the post would go to his bête noire Sachin Pilot.
Party insiders said the leadership is in favour of Pilot succeeding Gehlot, but the CM is keen that the views of the MLAs be taken into consideration. However, Gehlot claims that most of the MLAs are in favour of him remaining the CM.
On the mandate of Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi said: "The Yatra is designed to tell the people of India that they need to be united. They need to go back to an India which was loving and affectionate to itself."
On the Goa fiasco, he maintained: "We are fighting a machine that has unlimited money, unlimited ability to pressurize people, unlimited ability to buy people, unlimited ability to threaten people and the outcome of that is what you have seen in Goa."
In response to another question about the raids on PFI offices and houses of PFI leader, Rahul said: "My view is that all forms of communalism, all forms of violence — regardless of where they come from — are the same and should be combated. There should be zero tolerance for communalism."
Several senior leaders' names such as former Union minister Manish Tewari, former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, Mukul Wasnik and Prithviraj Chavan, were doing the rounds as possible contenders, but many of them privately ruled out running for the top post.
