Sonia Gandhi to get elected unopposed for record 4th term

With all indications that there will be no contest for Congress president's post, Sonia Gandhi is expected to get elected unopposed for a record fourth term.

Though tomorrow is the last date for filing nominations, 63-year-old Gandhi's unanimous re-election to the top party post seems to be a mere formality.

Several sets of nomination papers are expected to be filed on her behalf. The AICC has, however, not officially announced the details.

Party sources said 50 nominations are expected to be filed by them.

Top party leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee and Gandhi's son Rahul as also several union ministers and party chief ministers are expected to file the documents.

The election process was set in motion last week with the issue of the notification.

Gandhi, who is also the UPA chairperson, has ensured power
for the Congress via the coalition route. She led a Congress-led alliance to victory in 2004 after eight long years of political wilderness for the party.

This was the first experiment of Congress sharing power at the Centre and it has also entered into a second term in coalition after the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

Gandhi has created a record of having the longest tenure as Congress chief by steering the party since April 1998 when she replaced the late Sitaram Kesri.

Only once she had to face a contest with senior leader Jitendra Prasada throwing his hat in the ring a decade back but she had defeated him. 

As per the election schedule, scrutiny of nominations will be held on September 3, last date of withdrawal is September 10, and date of polls, if necessary, is September 17.

Counting of votes will be held on September 21. This is also the schedule for the election of the PCC presidents in various states.

Electoral collage for the Congress president's election comprises 7,946 PCC delegates.