Congress presidential elections: Key developments & reactions

The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution backing Rahul Gandhi for the post of the party president. Representatives of the Congress committee requested Gandhi to file nomination for the post of the Congress president while considering "sentiments of all", said the resolution. Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan said the resolution to make him the party's national president was unanimously passed.

Anybody can contest the Congress president's poll which will be free and fair as well as transparent, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said on Tuesday after meeting party chief Sonia Gandhi. "Whoever wants to file a nomination, can file it. We have said it will be an open election, anybody can contest, free and fair election, definitely it will be a transparent election," he said.

With the Pradesh Congress committees passing a resolution seeking Rahul Gandhi at the helm of AICC, party General Secretary, Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said such measures have no binding effect. Amid indication that Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will contest in the party's presidential polls, Ramesh, also said any person could contest for the post, but he personally preferred to evolve a consensus around a candidate.

Asked if Rahul Gandhi will contest, Venugopal said only the former can decide and he "has not told us anything". On resolutions being passed by various state units of the party seeking Rahul Gandhi's elevation to the top post, Venugopal said there was nothing wrong in that as party workers were expressing their feelings.