Rahul Gandhi files nomination for Cong prez poll

New Delhi, Dec 4: Decks have been cleared for the election of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi as President of the grand old party, with the party leader filing his nomination for the post on Monday.

As many as 89 sets of nomination papers were filed today on the last date of filing of nominations, Chairman of the Central Election Authority Committee Mullapalli Ramachandran and members Madhusudan Mistry and Bhubaneswar Kalita told a news conference here.
Mr Ramachandran and Mr Mistry, however, declined to disclose as to whether all these sets of papers were filed for Mr Gandhi alone or there were other candidates too.
It was understood that all sets of nominations were filed on behalf of the Congress Vice-President.
The final list of candidates who filed the nominations for the post will be clear only tomorrow after scrutiny.
Asked if in case Rahul is the only candidate to have filed nominations , he would be declared elected as the party president, Mr Ramachandran and Mr Mistry said that ,'even if no other candidate has come to contest the election, the formal declaration of Mr Gandhi as elected unopposed to the post would have to wait till December 11, the last date for withdrawal of nominations.'
Polling, if necessary, is to be held on December 16, according to the schedule announced last month.
Mr Rahul Gandhi, if elected, would be taking over the party’s top post from his mother Sonia Gandhi.
Earlier in the day, veteran Congress leaders, including former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, hailed Mr Gandh’s imminent election to the post, saying he would be carrying the great tradition of the party forward during his tenure. UNI