Ashok Gehlot Begins As Profitable Candidate In Congress Presidential Ballot

By Sushil Kutty

Shashi Tharoor and Ashok Gehlot will contest the Congress president’s submit election and Tharoor will stroll into it already sidelined. Gandhi household loyalist Ashok Gehlot is of course a scorching favorite. Tharoor will not be going to get the benefit of being fellow Kerala MP to Rahul Gandhi. In truth, if a ballot to decide on between who’s extra well-liked in Kerala, “Rahul Gandhi or Shashi Tharoor?”, is held, ‘The Tharoor’ will lose by a thickset margin!

Even the fawning girls of Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor’s parliamentary constituency which he gained thrice, will vote en masse for the Gandhi scion, and Tharoor’s suave profile will probably be floating in Kerala’s backwaters. Come to consider it, Tharoor’s playboy picture is being raked up by vested pursuits to color him in unfavourable colors. Gehlot’s cohorts don’t wish to take any probabilities.

The north-based “nationwide media” can be in Gehlot’s nook. Sure well-liked Hindi information tv channels, which don’t have any affinity with the English-loquacious Tharoor, have assigned journalists to Gehlot, following him round, and capturing him in beneficial poses. The Congress, just like the Bharatiya Janata Celebration, additionally has a definite north Indian pedigree.

Shashi Tharoor might have gotten interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s permission to contest, however that doesn’t make him the chosen one. Gehlot, the “outgoing” Rajasthan chief minister, will probably be topped Congress president come the day.

It wouldn’t be a shock if Tharoor withdraws from the race besides that now there’s a 3rd candidate additionally within the fray! Gehlot supporters have been issuing statements that Gehlot will contest offered “nobody from the Nehru-Gandhi household” desires to be celebration president. After all, the Gandhis need  an election.

And Malayalis make wonderful sacrificial lambs. For some unfathomable causes, Malayalis have been serving the Nehru-Gandhi household from even earlier than Independence. The Malayali has all the time been extra loyal than the king to the Nehru-Gandhi household. Jawaharlal Nehru had his “personal Malayali”; Indira Gandhi, too. Additionally, Rajiv Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi?

In truth, the Gandhi household historical past is replete with Malayali private aides. There are a selection of Malayalis in Rahul Gandhi’s workers. Of them, KC Venugopal has a particular place. And when the Gandhi household takes a trip, it’s largely in or round God’s Personal Nation. Lakshadweep, off the coast of Kerala, was once Rajiv Gandhi’s favorite.

Rahul Gandhi on September 22 left no doubts as to who he favoured, no less than on paper. Rahul gave a broad trace to Gehlot, saying he can’t be each Congress president and Rajasthan Chief Minister! No such broad hints for Shashi Tharoor although none so broad than the unstated one which he took the trace and stop the race.

So a contest that isn’t a contest! This will probably be solely the fifth time a contest in Congress’s 137-year-old historical past. The final time was when Sonia Gandhi defeated Jitendra Prasada in 2000. Rahul Gandhi was thrust on the celebration. This time it’s the flip of Ashok Gehlot to be thrust. The final non-Gandhi Congress president was Sitaram Kesri, and he wasn’t a Gandhi-pick.

Ashok Gehlot is out and out a Gandhi-pick. Gehlot met Sonia on August 23, the day earlier than she went overseas. And since then, he has been “following” Rahul Gandhi. He was in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu when Rahul launched Bharat Jodo Yatra. And, he was within the chartered flight that introduced Rahul to Delhi on September 23.

Clearly, it’s not onerous to guess who the Gandhis wish to be celebration president? Gehlot is a Nehru-Gandhi loyalist. He’s not G-23. He was within the thick of the protests when the ED questioned Sonia and Rahul. He defended Sonia and Rahul within the press. Shashi Tharoor wasn’t to be seen in any respect. Most vital, Tharoor signed the G-23 letter to Sonia. Shashi Tharoor is a dissenter, a classy dissenter. Tharoor desires inner-party reforms.. Tharoor additionally desires the electoral rolls for the Congress president’s election made public.

Gehlot has no such calls for. A complete of 9000 delegates will vote within the election. That may embody Sachin Pilot and his supporters. Pilot can’t wait to see Ashok Gehlot develop into Congress President. Pilot can’t wait to switch Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan Chief Minister! Shashi Tharoor should accept the “Most Engaging MP” title! (IPA Service)

The submit Ashok Gehlot Begins As Profitable Candidate In Congress Presidential Ballot first appeared on IPA Newspack.