Rahul to file nomition for top Congress post today

 New Delhi, Dec 3: A host of party heavyweights will be present when Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi files his nomition papers for the party chief’s post at its headquarters here on Monday.

Six Chief Ministers — Punjab’s Amarinder Singh, Kartaka’s Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh’s Virbhadra Singh, Puducherry’s V. rayasamy, Meghalaya’s Mukul Sangma and Mizoram’s Lal Thanhawla — are expected to be present when over 90 sets of nomition papers are likely to be filed by various leaders to extend support to Rahul Gandhi’s candidature. Congress state unit chiefs, senior leaders and Pradesh Congress Committee delegates will be present at the Congress central office to express support to Rahul Gandhi ahead of his much-awaited elevation.  The Congress Vice President is likely to reach the party headquarters around 10.30 a.m. to file his nomition. He will sign sets of nomition papers to be filed before the Returning Officer.

Mullappally Ramachandran, the Returning Officer for the organisatiol election, told IANS that 90 nomition forms were taken by different states though not one has been submitted so far.  The process of nomition started on Friday. The last date for filing nomitions is December 4.

On Sunday, many senior Congress leaders, its members of Parliament and PCC chiefs arrived at the party headquarters to sign the papers. Apart from states and union territories, senior leaders on the Congress Working Committee (CWC), including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, A.K. Antony, Ahmed Patel and Ghulam bi Azad are likely to submit different sets of nomition papers.  The elevation of Rahul Gandhi, who is presently spearheading the Congress campaign ahead of the December 9 and 14 Gujarat assembly polls, has been much talked about in party circles for around two years.  Rahul Gandhi became the Congress Vice President in January 2013. (IANS)