Congress set to enter Rahul era as Gandhi scion files nomination for party chief

Rahul Gandhi became the Congress vice president in January 2013.

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Monday filed nomination for Congress president's post at the party headquarters in the national capital.

Congress state unit chiefs, pradesh Congress committee delegates and senior leaders were present at the party office. Rahul signed sets of nomination papers to be filed before Mullapally Ramachandran, chairman of the party’s central election authority.

Party heavyweights like Manmohan Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Anand Sharma, Sheila Dikshit, Ahmed Patel, Mohsina Kidwai, Amarinder Singh, Siddaramaiah, Jyotiraditya Scindia and others were present at 24 Akbar Road to extend support to his candidature.

Dikshit, Kamal Nath, Motilal Vora and Tarun Gogoi filed first set of nominations (as proposers) for Rahul.

However, his mother and incumbent Congress president Sonia Gandhi was not present on the occasion. But Rahul did go to her residence, 10 Janpath Road, before coming to party headquarters. 

.@OfficeOfRG seeking blessings from @CitiznMukherjee & Former PM, Dr Manmohan Singh before filing nominations #IndiawithRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/4Bcb8UzwT7 — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 4, 2017

A new era begins, as Congress VP Rahul Gandhi prepares his nomination papers for the post of Congress President at AICC. #IndiaWithRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/mgFikbNfpF — Congress (@INCIndia) December 4, 2017

On November 20, the Congress Working Committee had passed a resolution to make Rahul the party president.

The CWC meeting was attended by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, Manmohan Singh along with senior party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ahmed Patel.

The meeting was convened at Sonia's residence.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders like P Chidambaram, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Punjab CM extended their wishes to Rahul.

As Mr Rahul Gandhi files his nomination, I wish him the very best as Congress President. #IndiaWithRahulGandhi — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) December 4, 2017

Have no doubt that we will make tremendous strides under your unifying & progressive leadership @OfficeOfRG! Wish you the very best! Look forward to undertaking this journey of building an India of energy, opportunity & unity with you. #IndiawithRahulGandhi — Jyotiraditya Scindia (@JM_Scindia) December 4, 2017

As Congress VP Rahul Gandhi files his nomination for the post of Congress President, senior leaders of the INC family send their best wishes and express why he is the perfect leader. #IndiaWithRahulGandhi @capt_amarinder pic.twitter.com/X2JCzc1ejT — Congress (@INCIndia) December 4, 2017

Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha @AzadGhulamNabi sends his wishes to Congress VP Rahul Gandhi and highlights why he is the perfect fit for Congress President. #IndiaWithRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/NxynbmKEBZ — Congress (@INCIndia) December 4, 2017

On the other hand, former PM Singh said, "Rahul Gandhi is a darling of the Congress and he will carry forward the great traditions of the party."

The Election Commission has given the party the last extension for completing the internal poll process by the end of 2017.

Meanwhile, endorsing Congress leader Shehzad Poonawalla`s allegation about the party`s presidential election being rigged, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Sunday called out the rival party for the lack of "internal democracy" within.

"A youngster Shehzad has exposed the rigging that is taking place in the Congress president poll. And Shehzad is a senior Congress leader in Maharashtra. The Congress Party has tried to muzzle his voice and wants to even remove him from their social media groups. What tolerance is this," the PM had said, addressing a rally in Gujarat's Surendranagar.

PM had Modi further dubbed the discord thus exposed within the Congress as indicative of its ineffectuality to govern a nation.

"Those who have no internal democracy can`t work for people. I want to say to this youngster Shehzad - `you have done a brave thing but this is sadly what has always happened in Congress`," he had said.

The accusation came full force when Maharashtra Congress secretary Poonawalla called out the process of electing party president as "rigged" and said he had information that the delegates, who were going to vote for the election, were fixed.

(With Agency inputs)