Leadership change in Rajasthan: Congress legislative party to meet at Gehlot's residence today

New Delhi: Congress legislative party meeting will be held at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence in Jaipur on Sunday evening in which a resolution will be passed relating to the change of leadership in Rajasthan.
The resolution will be passed that decision on change of face in Rajasthan will be taken by the Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot is also likely to resign from his post before filing his nomination for the Congress President poll.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Rajasthan Ajay Maken, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge will be present in the meeting which is scheduled to be held at 7 pm on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, Ajay Maken had a meeting with Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi.
AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said the Congress president had appointed Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as observers for the Rajasthan CLP meeting to be held on Sunday at 7 pm in Jaipur.
"Congress President has appointed Mallikarjun Kharge as Observer along with Ajay Maken, Gen. Secretary AICC, Incharge of Rajasthan, to attend the meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly slated to be held on 25th September at 7 pm," Venugopal said in a tweet.
Filing of nominations for the post of Congress president began on Saturday with a contest between Ashok Gehlot and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor on the cards.
The nominations will be filed till September 30 and results declaring the new Congress chief will be announced on October 19.
This will be the first time in 25 years that Congress will see a non-Gandhi chief after Sonia Gandhi replaced Sitaraman Kesri as party chief in 1998.
The last time the party had a non-Gandhi chief was in 1997 when Sitaram Kesri defeated Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot.
Chairman of Central Election Authority Madhusudan Mistri will be available in Congress headquarters in the national capital to take the nomination papers as returning officer of the election.
Gehlot had earlier made it clear that there will be no candidate from the Gandhi family this time.
Speaking to ANI Gehlot said, "I have requested him (Congress MP Rahul Gandhi) multiple times to accept everyone's proposal of becoming the Congress President. He clarified that no one from the Gandhi family should become the next chief."
Till now, Gehlot has made it clear publically that he will contest the elections, while another name that is most likely to give him a contest is Shashi Tharoor who is also in the fray and had met Madhusudan Mistri.
Sources close to former union minister Manish Tewari had also said that he is also considering the possibility of contesting the polls.
The crux of the story that emerges is that the Congress party is all set to witness a tripartite or more contest.
Earlier, Madhusudan Mistri said that more than 9,000 delegates will be voting in the polls. Anybody can contest and 10 delegates will be needed to support his or her candidature. The last date for filing a nomination is September 30. (ANI)