Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday announced that he will fight the Congress President Election and will step down from the CM post if he is elected party chief.
"It's decided that I will contest (for the post of Congress President). I will fix the date soon (to file his nomination). It's a need for the Opposition to be strong, looking at the current position of the country," Gehlot said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Speaking to ABP News, Ashok Gehlot said he will step down from the post of Rajasthan Chief Minister if he is elected Congress President.
When asked whether he has chosen his successor for the post of Rajasthan Chief Minister, Gehlot said that a decision will be reached as per the party framework.
Earlier in the day, ANI quoted Ashok Gehlot as saying: "I have requested him (Congress MP Rahul Gandhi) multiple times to accept everyone's proposal of becoming the Congress President. He made it clear that no one from the Gandhi family should become the next chief."
Previously, the Rajasthan Chief Minister had indicated that he could throw his hat in the ring if former president Rahul Gandhi does not agree to take on the party's reins.
Gehlot is believed to have the backing of the current leadership. However, Congress president Sonia Gandhi is said to have told both Gehlot and Tharoor that she would remain "neutral" in the polls.
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