CM Gehlot won't quit

New Delhi: Ashok Gehlot's meeting with Sonia Gandhi was deferred by a day amid suspense over whether he will run for the Congress president. The meeting was initially scheduled for Wednesday evening but he kept delaying his travel plans as he consulted his closest aides, who strongly indicated that he may not give up his Rajasthan role anytime soon.

Finally, Gehlot sent word that he would leave for Delhi after a meeting on law and order at his home on Wednesday night and meet with the Congress president on Thursday.

At the same time, reports said there is a new candidate for Congress president - Digvijaya Singh. So far, he is up against Shashi Tharoor, the first to declare that he will contest. Ashok Gehlot, once the front runner, kept everyone guessing on his play just two days before nominations close. "The Congress will work under Ashok Gehlot's leadership. We did not discuss his resignation. He is not resigning today, he will not resign in future," said state minister Pratap Singh Kachariyawas. Another minister, Vishvendra Singh, said: "Gehlot will complete his five years in Rajasthan."

Since the Congress doesn't allow anyone two posts, many saw these comments as a hint that Gehlot does not want to run for party president. Rahul Gandhi last week made it clear that Gehlot cannot play a double role, in line with the Congress' "one person, one post" policy. Gehlot, with much reluctance, agreed to run for party president, but his refusal to quit as Rajasthan Chief Minister is at the core of the current crisis in the Congress.