The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took digs at the Congress on Friday amid speculation about the potential selection of the next president of the party, claiming that the presidential election would be nothing more than a show because the Gandhis will remotely control the next party leader.
Ashok Gehlot, the chief minister of Rajasthan, and the Congress party were criticised by BJP national spokesman Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday. Gehlot’s comments, according to Poonawalla, revealed that the Congress’ so-called elections were really an eyewash.
When questioned about the future chief minister of Rajasthan, Gehlot said to the media, “When I become the party president, Sonia Gandhi would determine further processes (for Rajasthan) together with the general secretary in charge Ajay Maken.”
Poonawalla reacted to Gehlot’s assertion by asking, “What capacity would she have? The previous president will be her! Shouldn’t the MLAs of Congress elect their CM? Why is this called “Farzi chunav” if Gandhis would have the remote control?
Poonawalla added that senior Congress figure and former Union minister P Chidambaram had also stated that Rahul Gandhi will have the top position in the party regardless of who the next president was.
The BJP spokesman said that the move was “evidence that the future president of the Congress would be a proxy of the Gandhis and will be remotely controlled by Gandhis like Manmohan Singh was remotely controlled by Sonia Gandhi.”
According to Poonawalla, this was a coronation rather than an election, and several Congress leaders who requested the release of the electoral records had revealed the event as a sham.
Election results will be announced on October 19 following the Congress’ presidential vote on October 17.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot said earlier today that he will run for president of the Congress. He also stated that Rahul Gandhi has made it plain that “no member of the Gandhi family” will lead the party moving forward.
Gehlot, who is in Kerala for the Bharat Jodo Yatra, said in a statement to the media, “As I have stated, I would ask Rahul Gandhi to accept this position after resolutions have been passed by all Congress Committees.
No one from the Gandhi family will succeed him as a leader, he made it plain. He said that he had made the decision to elect a non-Gandhi family member as the party’s leader for a variety of reasons “.
Rahul Gandhi stressed the “one person, one job” rule earlier on Thursday and expressed his confidence that the party’s adherence to its Udaipur proclamation would be upheld during the contest for the top position.
Rahul Gandhi called the job of Congress president an “ideological post” that “represents a set of beliefs, a belief system, and a vision of India.”
Shashi Tharoor, a party member and meeting with Sonia Gandhi on Monday, has also hinted at running for office. He spoke with Madhusudan Mistry, the head of the Congress Central Election Authority, on Wednesday.
Congress leader Digvijay Singh clarified on Friday that he was not a candidate for the position of party leader, putting an end to rumours about his nomination for the All India Congress Committee (AICC) presidential election.
Starting on September 24 and running through September 30, candidates will be considered for the position of Congress president.
