Did Sonia Gandhi ask Ashok Gehlot to take over party reins? He responds

India

oi-Prakash KL

New Delhi, Aug 24: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has denied the reports which claimed that he was offered to take over the reins of the Congress party by interim President Sonia Gandhi before flying abroad for a medical check up.

“I’m hearing this from the media. I don’t know about this. I’m fulfilling duties that have been assigned to me,” NDTV stated Gehlot as saying in Gujarat.

Sonia Gandhi had spoken to Gehlot over phone, asking him to lead the party, according to a report on Hindu. As Rahul Gandhi is not willing to take up the post, and wants a non-Gandhi to be made the party president, she suggested the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s name, the report claimed.

Days ago, Gehlot had urged Rahul Gandhi to take over the reins of the party. “If Rahul Gandhi does not become the party president, it will be a disappointment for the Congressmen in the country. Many people will sit at home and we will suffer. He (Rahul Gandhi) should accept this post by himself, understanding the sentiments of the common Congress people in the country,” he said.

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He further added, “The unanimous opinion is in support of his becoming the president. So, I think he should accept it. It is not about Gandhi or non-Gandhi family. It is the work of the organisation and no one is becoming a prime minister,”

As per ANI, Ashok Gehlot was followed by Mukul Wasnik, Venugopal, Kumari Selja, Malikarjun Kharge, Bhupesh Baghel and many others.

The Congress party has completed the internal election process till August 20. The party had announced that the election for the post of president will be held between August 21 and September 20 but despite several attempts, Rahul Gandhi has not cleared the stance till now.