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Senior Congress politician and former Madhya Pradesh state chief Digvijaya Singh confirmed that he would contest the opposition party’s presidential elections on Thursday, ending days of speculation about his candidature for the party's top post.
"I have come to collect nomination papers," Singh told reporters at the party's headquarters in Delhi.
He further stated that he would be filing his nomination on Friday, which is also the last day to submit papers for the elections scheduled for October 17.
The only other candidate to have confirmed his participation in the polls has been Shashi Tharoor, a well-known Congress parliamentarian from Kerala state. He is also expected to formalize his nomination on Friday.
Earlier, current Rajasthan state chief Ashok Gehlot was tipped to be the frontrunner for the position given his proximity to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
However, a recent act of rebellion by legislators in the Rajasthan Congress Party has appeared to have affected his chances.
The crisis erupted after more than 80 legislators loyal to Gehlot revolted against the central leadership's alleged decision to appoint the Rajasthan state chief's bitter rival Sachin Pilot as the head of the government.
There's no word yet whether Gehlot plans to file his nomination for the post.