Congress all set for intense discussions on party president poll

The next few days are likely to see intense discussions in the Congress over presidential elections as party chief Sonia Gandhi is set to return from abroad on Friday after medical check-up.

While earlier party sources had indicated that she will return on September 10 and kickstart discussions to finalise a candidate or find a consensus candidate, the delay in Sonia's return has put the issue on the back burner.

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Senior Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor, who was part of the G-23 leaders or change-seekers and a likely candidate, may meet Sonia before the notification for the party presidential election is issued. Tharoor is also likely to meet senior leaders in a bid to become an acceptable face to all sections in the party.

Sources said the G-23 is likely to decide on its candidate only after finding out who the Gandhi family plans to support in the organisational elections. The nomination can be filed between September 24 and 30.

With Rahul Gandhi making it clear that he will not return as Congress president, Sonia had earlier urged Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to lead the party but he is learnt to be reluctant to leave the state, as it is headed to Assembly elections and he do not want to leave space for his bete noir Sachin Pilot.

Gehlot is learnt to have insisted that either he retain Chief Ministership along with his role as party president or instal his loyalist as Chief Minister. However, the 'High Command' is not in favour of such a situation as the leaders suggested by Gehlot as his replacement do not have the aura that matches Pilot.

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For the party's central leadership, sources said, the Punjab experience is fresh in their mind and does not want to repeat the experiment it did with Charanjit Singh Channi. Sources said Congress central leadership is likely to make Gehlot's son Vaibhav a minister under the new Chief Minister as a compromise.

The party may also think about making Gehlot a Rajya Sabha MP. If Gehlot refuses to bite the bullet, then Mukul Wasnik may be roped in. Wasnik would fit in the bill, as he is a Dalit, and a senior organisation manager.