New Delhi,
Rahul Gandhi is all set for his unchallenged elevation as Congress president. He filed his nomination papers today, drawing complete support from the party and bitter criticism from the Prime Minister, who dubbed the development as “the start of Aurangzebi raj” in the Congress.

The Congress election authority received 89 sets of nomination papers backing the party vice-president as the preferred candidate for the chief’s post. His mother and incumbent Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, signed the first set alongside nine leaders as proposers.

She, however, skipped the filing process, sufficing to propose her son as her successor. Former PM Manmohan Singh led a show of solidarity with Rahul, who arrived at Congress’ Akbar Road headquarters sporting a splash of vermillion on the forehead, courtesy Pranab Mukherjee, former President, whom he met before starting his day.

The Amethi MP also visited Manmohan Singh’s residence to seek his blessings and arrived at the Congress office with him.

Later in the day, a battery of Congress leaders lined up to “hail the historic occasion marking the amalgamation of old and new aspirations”, exuding confidence in Rahul’s ability to deliver the Congress from electoral misfortune. “Rahul Gandhi is Congress’ darling. We trust his leadership. His hard work is sure to bear fruit one day,” noted Manmohan Singh.

Mass vocal support (45 leaders hailed his nomination) for Rahul was Congress’ way of answering the PM’s charge of nepotism in the party chief’s election.

“There is an overwhelming consensus in electing Rahul Gandhi as the next Congress chief. We dismiss the PM’s remarks with contempt,” said party spokesperson Anand Sharma, the first to welcome the transition followed by other leaders, including Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh, Cabinet colleagues Navjot Sidhu and Manpreet Badal, ex-CMs Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Sheila Dikshit and Harish Rawat, veterans Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ambika Soni, Kamal Nath and Sushil Kumar Shinde and youngsters Deepender Hooda, Sachin Pilot, Sushmita Dev and RPN Singh.

Of the 89 sets, four saw Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and former ministers AK Antony and Azad as the lead signatories proposing Rahul’s name. Other proposers in these four sets (each has 10 proposers) were CWC members and AICC office-bearers. The remainder forms came from state organisations. With Rahul required to sign each form proposing his candidature, the filing process took hours to conclude, following which the 47-year-old Gandhi scion walked to his mother’s house next door to seek her blessings.

Election authority in-charge M Ramachandran, meanwhile, said he would tell tomorrow if Rahul had competition. “Tomorrow is the scrutiny of 89 forms, signed by 890 delegates,” Ramachandran said after Congress leaders in private confirmed Rahul was the lone contestant.

A foregone conclusion, the official announcement on Rahul’s elevation won’t happen until December 11, the last date for withdrawals. It will, however, be unofficially known tomorrow after the scrutiny ends.