The roads leading to 24, Akbar Road were all choked on Monday morning as Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi arrived to file his nominations at the party headquarters' Election Authority.
The roads leading to 24, Akbar Road were all choked on Monday morning as Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi arrived to file his nominations at the party headquarters' Election Authority.
Within the lawns of the AICC headquarters, the Congress leaders came out in full force. From Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder to former Delhi CM Shiela Dixit, every prominent Congress leader came out to extend their support to the Gandhi scion.
However, Rahul Gandhi's mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi came to the headquarters early morning, only to leave a few minutes later.
Till the filing of this report, there were nine sets of nominations in favour of Rahul Gandhi. Senior party leaders including Kamal Nath, Sheila Dikshit, Motilal Vora and Tarun Gogoi filed the first set of nominations (as proposers) for Gandhi.
Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh who was one of the 10 proposers in the first of nine nominations to be filed by Rahul Gandhi, said, "Rahul Gandhi is a darling of the Congress and he will carry forward the great traditions of the party."
Senior Congress party leader Dr Karan Singh said time has come for the Congress vice-president to take over the commands of the party from his mother.
"Sonia-ji took Congress to new heights. She brought the party to Centre twice, we won many elections under her leadership and now it is time for Rahul Gandhi to take the party forward," Singh told reporters outside the party headquarters in New Delhi.
Confident of the party's future in the Gandhi scion's hands, Singh said, "A young generation is taking over, the future of Congress is bright."
Singh downplayed the allegations about the election being rigged in favour of Rahul Gandhi, saying that "questions are always raised in politics."He also dismissed the accusations of dynastic politics within the party.
"After Jawaharlal-ji, Lal Bahadur took office; he was not from Gandhi family. Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh were also not from Gandhi family," he contended.
Congress leader Kamal Nath also responded to the allegation. "Was Amit Shah elected in a non-rigged election? I want to know that. All the BJP presidents. Was Nitin Gadkari elected through a ballot process? That is the question?" he said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader from Assam Sushmita Dev faced a security hassle when she landed at the party headquarters late. Dev reached the gates only for the SPG to turn her away. It took a fair bit of persuasion till she was finally allowed in.
While the roads leading to the Congress office were shut down, enthusiastic Youth Congress leaders who were ready with firecrackers and drums were instructed to keep it down.
Congress leaders felt that celebrations needed to be subdued as Gandhi was simply filing his nominations.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Rahul-Gandhi-elections.jpg")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}