Not in race for Cong president post, collected 2 forms for others: Pawan Bansal

Amid suspense over whether Ashok Gehlot would run for Congress presidency, senior Congress leader and AICC treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday clarified that he collected the nomination forms for the top party post, but claimed that it was for someone else.

The former MP from Chandigarh on Tuesday told The Indian Express that the idea of contesting didn’t even cross his mind. “I am not in the race for Congress president post. I collected two forms and gave one to Harmohinder Singh Lucky, who is Chandigarh Congress president.,” Bansal said, adding that he was in Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi.

He added that last time one of the forms submitted from Chandigarh was rejected. “So this time, since I was in Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi, I collected the forms. I signed as proposer number 1 in one of the forms and gave the other one to Lucky so that he doesn’t have to rush to Delhi at the last moment,” the Congress leader said.

Lucky said, “Bansalji got the two forms for us. As far as I know, he is not is the race. But if tomorrow, madam (Sonia Gandhi) asks him to contest, I don’t know what he will say.”