Kamal Nath refutes Congress president poll speculation: 'Not interested'

Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Monday refuted speculation of him contesting the upcoming Congress presidential polls. The speculation of Nath as a probable candidate came up after he met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi. Speaking to the media, the Congress leader said that he was “not interested”.

“I have no interest in the Congress president post, I have come to Delhi for Navratri,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

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Nath is also expected to play the role of a mediator and help the party defuse the full-blown political crisis in Rajasthan, reports said.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Shashi Tharoor have emerged as frontrunners in the race for presidential polls for the party which is due in October. If elected, Gehlot would have to leave the CM chair under the 'one man, one post' rule of the party. The buzz over the likely successor of Rajasthan CM has unfolded the crisis with a group of Gehlot loyalists submitting their resignation.

The process for filing nominations for Congress presidential elections will end on September 30 and the results are likely to be declared on October 19.

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Meanwhile, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken briefed party chief Sonia Gandhi regarding the developments in Rajasthan and will submit a written report about the crisis in the party's state unit by Tuesday.

According to Maken, the Gehlot loyalists who submitted their resignation have put forth a demand that the decision on the CM face should be taken after the party president election on October 19.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)