Rahul Gandhi not to be part of candidate selection process for assembly elections

Rahul Gandhi is no longer the Congress president and he is now not even attending a key meeting. Now reports have surfaced saying that Rahul Gandhi will not to be part of the candidate selection process for the next month’s assembly elections.

According to sources, Rahul has recused himself from participating in candidate selection meetings or being part of the decisions taken there. A member of his team told the leading daily, “He doesn’t want to be involved with ticket distribution. He feels it’s best the party decides this in consultation with state leaders and takes responsibility for their choices.’’ Rahul did not participate in the two meetings that have taken place of the Congress’s Central Election Committee, or CEC, the last of which was on



Thursday.

But on the other hand, Rahul Gandhi will still play a key role in the elections as a campaigner. KH Muniyappa, a member of the central election authority told the Hindustan Times, “While Rahul has quit on moral grounds, it does not mean that he’s not participating in the election process. In fact, he’s working more than ever helping us build a strong campaign.’’

After Rahul resigned from the top post of the party on 25 May, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was appointed as the interim chief of the party on August 10. Sonia Gandhi, who has been the longest-serving party president in her earlier stint, will take over the party's responsibility at a time when it is fresh from its second-worst defeat in the national elections and ahead of key state polls.