It's Kharge vs Tharoor battle for Congress chief post as other biggies sit out

New Delhi, Sept 30: Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge have filed their nominations for the Congress presidential poll. 

Kharge's candidature was proposed by party leaders Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Pramod Tiwari, PL Punia, AK Antony, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik. 

G23 leaders Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari are also proposers for Kharge's candidature. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh announced that he would not contest the party president's election and would instead propose the candidature of his senior Kharge. 

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday night met Sonia Gandhi and discussed the crisis in the party's Rajasthan unit, and later said the Congress chief would take "positive decisions" with regard to the state. 

Pilot, who spent around an hour at Gandhi's residence where Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal was also present, said he conveyed his sentiments and gave his feedback to the party president.

Pilot's meeting with Gandhi comes days after an open rebellion by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's loyalists over a possible leadership change in the state. "I met Congress president Sonia Gandhi. She listened to me calmly. The events in Rajasthan were discussed in detail," Pilot said after the meeting.

Pilot met Gandhi hours after his bete noire Ashok Gehlot met her in the afternoon, following which the Rajasthan chief minister announced that he will opt out of the Congress president's race. Gehlot also said the decision on whether he would remain CM would be taken by party chief Sonia Gandhi.