New Delhi: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is also a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre, has emerged as the top choice for the Congress president`s post, sources close to the party claimed. According to them, interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has requested him to take over before she heads abroad for medical check-ups and treatment.


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Though there is no official confirmation regarding this, it has emerged that Sonia Gandhi has told Gehlot to take the reins of the party in her absence during a closed-door meeting. The Gehlot camp has also not confirmed the development, but sources have confirmed that the Congress is looking beyond the Gandhis for the top post.


All this comes as the Congress party's internal election deadline of September 20 draws close. The detailed schedule for the election of the Congress president will be out soon and the whole process in all likelihood will be completed around the given time frame of September 20 without any "major postponement", party sources said on Tuesday.


The Central Election Authority of the Congress is awaiting a nod from the party`s working committee to announce the schedule for electing the next Congress President as the grand old party is still in search of a consensus candidate for the top post after the refusal by Rahul Gandhi.


While sources said that Gehlot is the top choice, the Rajasthan Chief Minister himself said on Monday that Rahul Gandhi should rethink his decision as it will demoralise the party workers. Gehlot is averse to the idea of becoming party president and has stated that Rahul Gandhi was the top and unanimous choice for party president.


The sources also said that the Congress wants to complete the organisational election by September, as it does not want to be on the firing line of the G-23 grouping after the resignation of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma from the state committees and with Haryana strongman Bhupinder Singh Hooda batting for the cause of senior party leaders.


It may be noted that senior Congress leader Manish Tewari recently took a contrary stand to that of the Congress on the Agnipath scheme, which made the party uncomfortable. Another idea was mooted some time ago, according to which Sonia Gandhi will continue as the party president while working presidents will be appointed for each zone. The other name doing the rounds for the top party post was Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.


(With Agency Inputs)