Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in talks with brass to contest Congress Chief's post
fact that Singh held discussions on his possible candidature with some senior AICC and PCC leaders has prompted many party leaders to infer that he had the strategic support of key stakeholders in the leadership to enter the fray and stay the cou...
Congress presidential election: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh looked set to contest the Congress presidential election amid the party high command's imbroglio with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot.
The fact that Singh held discussions on his possible candidature with some senior AICC and PCC leaders has prompted many party leaders to infer that he had the strategic support of key stakeholders in the leadership to enter the fray and stay the course if Gehlot does not contest.
"Yes, I am actively considering contesting for the post of the Congress president. I am in discussions with many of my party colleagues and I would also meet some of them after arriving in Delhi. I will take the final decision on Thursday," Singh told ET from Kerala. He insisted it was his own initiative and not at the behest of the high command. The nominations for the presidential polls close on September 30. Singh was slated to reach Delhi late Wednesday night.
At least three senior leaders privately confirmed Singh had discussed with them the likelihood of contesting. "Yes, Digvijaya Singhji did talk to me and it appeared he would file his nomination either Thursday or Friday. There can still be many twists and turns by the time we vote in the election," a senior Congress leader said.
Singh's move also comes after his Madhya Pradesh colleague and Congress unit chief Kamal Nath said he would focus on preparations for the assembly polls in his home state and maintained he was not in the fray for the top AICC post.
Senior leader AK Antony, who reached New Delhi in connection with a court hearing related to a CBI case he had filed as the then defence minister, held discussions with Sonia Gandhi about Congress presidential poll and the Rajasthan issue.
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Singh is a heavyweight and a high-profile leader known for his organisational skills and hardnosed positioning against RSS-BJP, something that has landed him in many controversies. While Shashi Tharoor is expected to file his papers on Friday, there are many, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Kumari Selja, Mukul Wasnik, Meira Kumar and Pawan Bansal, who are seen as potential 'compromise' candidates even as some Gandhi family loyalists argue that in the event of a contest "risking deeper divisions in the party", a consensus on continuity of Sonia Gandhi could be the best bet.
