To contest or not, Rahul Gandhi keeps everyone guessing on Congress president election

New Delhi, September 9

Ahead of the nomination process for election to the post of Congress president, Rahul Gandhi on Friday said he had decided what to do and there was no confusion in his mind about it.

Will answer if I opt out

Whether I become Congress president or not will become clear when the poll takes place. If I do not contest, you can ask me and I will answer you. Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader

Asked if he would contest the October 17 election, Rahul obliquely hinted at being an unlikely candidate. “Whether I become Congress president or not will become clear when the election takes place. If I do not contest, you can ask me and I will answer you,” said the 52-year-old Wayanad MP, addressing a press conference in Kanyakumari on the second day of “Bharat Jodo Yatra”.

Rahul said he hoped to be wiser after the yatra, describing the exercise as a personal journey “to gain a better understanding about himself and the beautiful country”.

He sought to blame the BJP for the exodus of party leaders in the recent past. Asked why he was unable to convince some Congress persons on party’s ideology, Rahul said, “The BJP has better means of putting pressure on them. They have taken control of all institutions…You know the role of CBI, ED and I-T. We are not fighting a political party anymore, but the entire structure of the Indian state. A lot of people don’t want to fight. They feel it is better to make peace with the BJP.” In deviation from the line taken during the Chintan Shivir in Udaipur where he stressed the Congress alone was best positioned to unite and lead the country, Rahul today batted for Opposition unity.