Dharmendra Pradhan corners Rahul Gandhi over unopposed nomination

Udhna (Gujarat) [India], Dec 4 (ANI): Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday, in an apparent dig at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on his unopposed nomination, said the one who claimed to bring internal democracy within the party was appointing himself as the party president.

Pradhan added Rahul had been working as the party 'president' for the past three-four years under his mother's influence 'and this time it has just been made official.'

"For the last 10 years, Rahul ji had been saying he'd bring internal democracy in Congress. Now he is appointing himself as the party president. He had been the president for the past three-four years, under his mother's influence. This is their tradition," Pradhan said.

Further slamming the party's selection process, Pradhan sought to remind that Prime Minister Modi had, earlier in the day, repeated what senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had once said.

"It was said by Mani Shankar Aiyar and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi that only 'Babarshahi' and 'Shehenshahi' prevails in Congress and that's how 'Shehzadas' are formed there. It is their matter. The prime minister just reminded what Aiyar ji had said," he said.

Earlier in the day, while addressing a rally in Gujarat's Dharampur, Prime Minister Modi dubbed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's expected 'elevation' as an 'Aurangzeb Raj'.

Aiyar, following this, hit back at Prime Minister Modi and reminded him that unlike in the Mughal rule, the president election process in the Congress Party was totally 'democratic'.

Rahul filed his nomination papers for the post of the party chief at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, earlier in the day.

The election, if necessary, will be held on December 16.

If elected, Rahul will succeed his mother Sonia, who has been holding the post for nearly two decades. (ANI)