G-23 leaders meet Azad, Tharoor may throw his hat in ring

New Delhi: Congress G-23 leaders Prithviraj Chavan, Anand Sharma and Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday met Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has resigned from the party and is going to hold his first public meeting in Jammu in September’s first week.

The G-23 leaders are understood to be planning to contest the Presidential polls of the party which is slated on October 17.

Former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, who is likely to throw his hat into the ring, however said that: “Let’s wait for sometime.” Sources say Tharoor and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Chavan are likely candidates who could challenge the Gandhis’ candidate.

With Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot emerging as front runner for the Congress President, being seen as choice of interim chief Sonia Gandhi, even as some want the return of Rahul Gandhi – with Gehlot too proposing his name, the G-23 was understood to have made up its mind to field a candidate if no Gandhi stood.

However, it remained to be seen if it would do so as it seemed unlikely as Sonia Gandhi’s choice would be challenged.

The last time the election was conducted for the Congress President’s post was in 2000 when Jitendra Prasada had challenged Sonia Gandhi but lost.