Shashi Tharoor vs Ashok Gehlot for Congress president

In the absence of a member of the Gandhi family in the president poll, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor are the probable candidates to run for the upcoming party president elections.

Amid speculation that Ashok Gehlot could be running for the party president, the election for which is set to take place next month, sources close to the Rajasthan Chief Minister said that he is "trying to persuade Rahul Gandhi" to contest rather than his own nomination.

"Ashok Gehlot says that rather than thinking of running for Congress President he is trying to persuade Rahul Gandhi to do so. He remains a loyal soldier of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi," the sources said.

Notably, Shashi Tharoor is a candidate of the G-23 group within the party to contest the poll. He garners the support of several MPs as along with him, five other MPs had written a letter to Congress central election authority chairman, Madhusudhan Mistry demanding that electoral roles should be made available to all.