Congress treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal has taken a nomination form from the Central Election Authority, but sources said however it’s not clear whether he will file a nomination or not….reports Asian Lite News
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge is said to have emerged top choice for the party President’s post but the game is still on and Congress sources on Tuesday said that leaders have been called for the nomination on Thursday.
Congress sources said that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is not yet ruled out from the race and Kumari Selja’s name is also under consideration while Rahul Gandhi’s choice is said to be K.C. Venugopal.
Congress treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal has taken a nomination form from the Central Election Authority, but sources said however it’s not clear whether he will file a nomination or not. On his part, Bansal said he is only a proposer, not the candidate.
CEA Chairman Madhusudan Mistry said: “Till now (Shashi) Tharoor and Pawan Bansal has taken nomination forms from the CEA.”
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, whose name had also come up and had met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday said that he doesn’t want to become the party chief and wants to continue to work for the party in Madhya Pradesh.
The escalating drama in Rajasthan has made the Congress leadership think about a plan B for the top party post, for which Gehlot was being seen as a contender. However, the open defiance by his loyal MLAs had brought him under a cloud.
The time is running out as the election process has started and September 30 is the last day of nomination.
Cong serves show-cause notice
The Congress on Tuesday served show-cause notices to Rajasthan Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal, party chief whip Mahesh Joshi and RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore for holding a parallel meeting of party legislators in Jaipur.
The notice issued to Dhariwal said that he, being Parliamentary Affairs Minister, has committed “grave indiscipline” by hosting a parallel MLAs meeting at his residence and thus “pressuring MLAs not to attend the official meeting”.
“As Parliamentary Affairs Minister, hosting the unofficial meeting confused the Congress MLAs as to which one was convened officially,” the notice reads.
The notice that has sought response within 10 days also noted that Dhariwal’s action (parallel meeting) came even when senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken repeatedly clarify that they have come to speak to each MLA “individually and impartially” report to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Similarly, the notice addressed to Joshi stated that he, as Chief Whip, has conducted a “grave indiscipline” by boycotting the official CLP (Congress Legislature Party) meeting and by participating and convening parallel meeting of the MLAs at the time when officially appointed observers were waiting for the official meeting to start.
“As Chief Whip your presence at the unofficial and illegal meeting confused the MLAs as to which one was convened officially,” added the notice.
In show cause notice to Rathore, he was accused of making all logistical arrangements and was held responsible for being behind the entire planning of the unofficial meeting of the MLAs.
Meanwhile, Maken has recommended disciplinary action against Dhariwal, Joshi and Rathore whom he blamed for holding the parallel meet.
Maken, in his report to the party president, has reported “grave indiscipline” on part of them.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, sources said, has been exonerated in the report submitted to party chief Sonia Gandhi.
The official meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was to be held at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Chief Minister’s residence in Jaipur, but before that Gehlot’s loyalists gathered at Dhariwal’s residence. From where, they went to Speaker C.P. Joshi’s residence and collectively submitted their resignation to him.