New Delhi, September 28: Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has opted out of the process to select candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana. According to a report, Rahul Gandhi has left the job of candidate selection for the assembly elections with the Congress old guard. The Congress MP, however, will be active during campaigning for candidates, the report added. Rahul Gandhi Takes Dig at PM Narendra Modi After Corporate Tax Cut, Says Houston Event Most Expensive.

Rahul Gandhi, who resigned as Congress President after party's poor show in the Lok Sabha elections, skipped two recent meetings of the Congress’s Central Election Committee (CEC). The Wayand MP has been a member of the CEC since 2010. "He doesn’t want to be involved with ticket distribution. He feels it’s best the party decides this in consultation with state leaders and takes responsibility for their choices," a source was quoted as saying.

Rahul Gandhi's team, however, said that his will play key role in the party's campaign for the assembly elections. "While Rahul has quit on moral grounds, it does not mean that he’s not participating in the election process. In fact, he’s working more than ever helping us build a strong campaign," KH Muniyappa, a member of the central election authority, told Hindustan Times. Since his resignation from the top post, Rahul Gandhi has been avoiding responsibility to reorganise the party.

The Congress MP had offered his resignation from the top post to the Congress Working Committee after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Several leaders persuaded him to continue, however, he remained firm on quitting the top post. In June, he put out a four-page farewell note making it clear that he wouldn't take back his resignation. His resignation was accepted in August and Sonia Gandhi was appointed as Interim President of Congress.

Polling for assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana will be held on October 21. The counting of votes will take place on October 25 and the results will be declared on the same day.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 28, 2019 10:33 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).