TAP TO UNMUTE Ayub Ali

New Delhi: An Uttar Pradesh Congress Muslim leader on Thursday claimed that he was barred from filing nomination to challenge Rahul Gandhi for the party top post.

Rahul Gandhi can't run Congress on his own: Times Now survey finds

The Congress officials rejected my application for the election to party president post. No valid reason was cited for rejection, said Ayub Ali.

Notably, Shehzad Poonawalla was the first Congress leader who had alleged that the party president's election was rigged to favour Rahul Gandhi.

Poonawalla had alleged that party's spokesperson Manish Tewari had told him during a conversation that the Congress was a "proprietorship" like every other political party in India.

The audio clip of the purported conversation between Poonawalla and Tewari was also played out by Times Now.

Ayub Ali's claim will give enough ammo to the Bharatiya Janata Party which had been saying that the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the party president through an election is, in fact, a case of "coronation".

Cong Leader Ayoub Ali who dissented against Rahul Gandhi and challenged him for the party presidential polls says, he was debarred for fighting. Proving that Rahul's coronation was a total sham #RahulElevationScam pic.twitter.com/abYIMvfXW7 — TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) December 7, 2017

Marking a generational shift, Rahul Gandhi is all set to take over as Congress President next week as he was the only candidate to file nominations before the deadline expired on Monday for the post amid Opposition jibes over dynasty politics in a contest with no one else in the fray.

Elevation mere formality as Congress receives no nomination challenging Rahul Gandhi's candidature

The 47-year-old Gandhi, who will be the sixth Nehru-Gandhi scion to helm the party, filed papers at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi amid cheers and celebrations by party leaders and workers. His mother and incumbent party President Sonia Gandhi signed the first nomination paper for the election of her son.



He has been party vice-president for over four years since 2013.



Among the proposers of 89 nominations -- all in support of Gandhi -- was former prime minister Manmohan Singh who called Rahul Gandhi the "darling" of the party. Manmohan Singh accompanied Gandhi when he filed the nomination paper.



Originally 90 nomination forms were issued but one could not be filed as there were not enough number of proposers.