New Delhi: Amid fast-paced dramatic developments, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is likely to file his nomination for the Congress president's post on Friday, met another top contender Shashi Tharoor and both agreed that theirs is "not a battle between rivals but a friendly contest" among colleagues.


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Singh met the party MP from Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday after collecting nomination papers for the polls. "Received a visit from Digvijaya Singh this afternoon. I welcome his candidacy for the Presidency of our Party," Tharoor said in a tweet. "We both agreed that ours is not a battle between rivals but a friendly contest among colleagues. All we both want is that whoever prevails, @incIndia will win!" he said.


 



 


Digvijaya Singh earlier this morning confirmed that he will contest the polls for party president even as Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot later confirmed that he won't run for the Congress president's post. He even apologised to Sonia Gandhi after a rebellion over his candidature for the post by MLAs in the state loyal to him.


Digvijaya Singh told reporters outside the AICC headquarters that he was here to collect his nomination form from the party`s Central Election Authority (CEA) and that he is likely to file his nomination tomorrow.


"Today I have come here to collect the nomination form and will possibly file it tomorrow," Singh said. He said that the decision to contest was solely his and he had not consulted with anybody else. "I represent myself...The time is between 11 and 3 (when he will file the nominations tomorrow)," Singh told the media persons.


On being asked whether his entering the race for the top Congress post will be a face-off against Ashok Gehlot or Tharoor, Singh asked them to wait and see till October 8, the last date of withdrawal of nominations.


"Wait till 8th, the date of withdrawal," the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh said. When pressed on the issue, Singh said "Why don't you take me seriously."The veteran leader had met with Rahul Gandhi in Kerala at the party`s Bharat Jodo Yatra and had arrived in the national capital late Wednesday evening.


The entry of Digvijaya Singh has made the battle for the top Congress post interesting as G23 leader Shashi Tharoor is also likely to file the nomination on Friday. Tharoor has already declared that he will file his nomination for the post of Congress president on Friday, the last day of the nomination process. Polling for the post will take place on October 17 while the result will be announced on October 19.