Rajasthan CM Gehlot at 10 Janpath to meet Cong interim president Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi, Sep 21: Amid Congress repeatedly stating the no one requires the permission of its president Sonia Gandhi or its leader Rahul Gandhi to contest in the party's presidential polls, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is in the race for the top post, paid a visit to 10 Janpath to meet Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi.

The meeting between Sonia Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot is underway.

Gehlot has been pushing Rahul Gandhi to contest the president poll, but the latter seems to firm on his stand and unlikely to run for the post. On Wednesday, the Rajasthan CM indicated that he will file the nomination.

"I am very fortunate that I have got love and affection of Congress men and women across the country and they have faith in me. Therefore, if they ask me to fill the form (nomination), I will not be able to refuse," The Times of India quoted him as saying. Nonetheless, he stated that he would "again request Rahul Gandhi to become the Congress president".

He is considered a frontrunner for the post of Congress president post as he reportedly has the backing of the Gandhis.

However, the Congress on Wednesday said again that no one requires the permission of Congress president or Rahul Gandhi to file nomination. It comes in the backdrop of reports which claimed that Sonia Gandhi had given her nod for Shashi Tharoor to contest in the upcoming poll.

AICC general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh, speaking to the media during the break between the first and second leg of the days' Bharat Jodo Yatra, said, "Anybody is free and welcome to contest in the election if they have the backing of 10 PCC delegates."

The poll process for the Congress president's election will begin on September 22 with the issue of the notification, and the nomination filing will start from September 25 to 30. The election will be held on October 17 and the result will be out two days later.