Nomination forms for the post of Congress president poll have been collected by Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor and All India Congress Committee (AICC) treasurer Pawan Bansal, but Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has not done so yet, the party's central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said on Tuesday.
Gehlot is likely to file his nominations for the polls on September 28, while Tharoor is expected to file his nomination on September 30.
The election will be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared on October 19.
Speaking to ANI Mistry said, "We briefed Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi about work done so far regarding Congress president elections. Elections will happen as per schedule. Two people have collected the forms till now, which include those for Shashi Tharoor and Pawan Bansal. Bansal took two forms yesterday."
However, Mistry said that it is unclear if Bansal 'took the form for himself or for someone else'.
When asked about the nomination filing of Gehlot, Mistry said, "I don't have any update. Nobody has contacted me."
He denied having any information about the possibility of Gehlot's nomination amid the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan.
While Bansal came to collect the forms himself, Tharoor had sent his representative to collect the forms.
"Five to seven forms have been collected so far by two people," Mistry said.
This comes amid the political turmoil in Rajasthan recently over the appointment of Gehlot's successor.
Congress leaders Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge had visited Rajasthan and said they will submit their observations to Sonia Gandhi over the rebellion by party MLAs in the state over the move to find a successor to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
