Opponents of Congress president Sitaram Kesri say they are confident that the majority of PCC delegates, who comprise the electoral college for the election of the party president, will vote against Kesri.
A former senior minister who is now backing Sharad Pawar alleged yesterday that many of the senior party leaders who had signed Kesris nomination papers were forced to do so because the names of delegates from their states were not released until they signed.
The leader, who is close to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, said many chief ministers and PCC presidents who had thus been coerced into signing Kesris nomination papers were even more determined to see him defeated. He claimed that only Haryana PCC chief BS Hooda was solidly with Kesri. Most other PCC chiefs were against him. However, some leaders close to UPCC President Jitendra Prasada said he was still backing Kesri. Prasada holds the key, since the large majority of UP delegates owe him their loyalty and UP elects more than 1,200 of the almost 8,000 members of the electoral college. Bihar elects another 800. A leading opponent of Kesri claimed that BPCC president Sarfaraz Ahmed was not entirely with Kesri.
Backers of Pawar were trying to persuade Rajesh Pilot to withdraw from the contest, so that it could be a straight contest between Kesri and Pawar. AR Antulay, the fourth candidate, has already made it clear that he will withdraw. Monday is the last date for withdrawals.