Subhechcha Ganguly 
Veteran party leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday hinted that he would run for president of the Congress, adding a new chapter to the ongoing political drama.
Singh will submit his candidacy papers for the top position, according to sources close to him. Singh served as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh from 1993 to 2003, a turbulent decade for the Congress.
On Wednesday night, Singh is anticipated to fly into Delhi from Kerala, and on Thursday or Friday, the final day for nominations, he will file his paperwork. Madhusudan Mistry, the chairman of the Congress Central Election Authority, is reportedly unavailable on Thursday.
A number of party leaders view the unexpected action as either a component of the leadership’s “Plan B” or a “smokescreen” designed to put pressure on Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to accept the leadership’s wish that he run for the top job and defer to the Gandhis when choosing his successor in the state.
The most recent development occurred at a time when there were no signs that the deadlock between Gehlot and the Congress high command would end soon. The Chief Minister put off leaving Jaipur since a meeting between Gehlot and Congress president Sonia Gandhi did not occur as planned.
According to sources, the reason for the delay was the lack of communication from Gandhi’s office regarding the appointment, and Gehlot could meet her on Thursday. At 9.30 pm, he finally departed Jaipur.
