New Delhi, Sep 29: Congress president Sonia Gandhi will decide on the Rajasthan chief minister's post within a day or two, party general secretary KC Venugopal said on Thursday.

Venugopal made the statement outside Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence here after a series of meetings to resolve the Rajasthan crisis.

He also said it will be clear by tomorrow, the last day of filing nominations for the top post, who all will contest.

The comments came soon after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced that he will not contest the Congress presidential polls as he took moral responsibility for the political crisis in his state, and said the decision on whether he would remain CM would be taken by the party chief.

After meeting the party president, Gehlot told reporters that he apologised to Gandhi for the developments on Sunday when MLAs supporting him defied the central observers and thwarted the move to hold a meeting of party legislators.

Instead, they held a parallel meeting to pitch for Gehlot's continuation or the guarantee that his bete noire Sachin Pilot will not replace him.

Gehlot, a three-time state chief minister, described himself as a disciplined soldier of the party and expressed his sadness over the turn of events in the state.

Asked if he will continue as chief minister, Gehlot said Gandhi will decide on the issue.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is likely to file his nomination for the Congress president's post on Friday, met Shashi Tharoor, who said they agreed that theirs is "not a battle between rivals but a friendly contest" among colleagues.

Singh met the party MP from Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday after collecting nomination papers for the polls.

"Received a visit from Digvijaya Singh this afternoon. I welcome his candidacy for the Presidency of our Party," Tharoor said in a tweet.

"We both agreed that ours is not a battle between rivals but a friendly contest among colleagues. All we both want is that whoever prevails, @incIndia will win!" he said.

Tharoor has already declared that he will file his nomination for the post of Congress president on Friday, the last day of the nomination process.

Polling for the post will take place on October 17 while the result will be announced on October 19.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Mangaluru: Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Aggarwal has issued guidelines in public interest for New Year Celebrations within the Mangaluru City Police commissionerate.

The guidelines are as follows:

  •  "All hotels, restaurants, clubs, resorts and other establishments planning to organize New Year celebrations must obtain prior permission from the Mangaluru City Police Commissioner's Office. Applications must be submitted by 5 pm on December 23," the statement

  •  The New Year program must be completed by 12 midnight. The program cannot be continued after that. New Year festivities without prior permission will not be allowed. Legal action will be taken against those who violate these rules. Organizers must strictly follow the rules as per the licenses and permissions obtained from the relevant departments.

  • If any COVID-19 or other health related government instructions are implemented, the organizers must strictly follow them.

  • Written permission from the Excise Department must be obtained for the sale and distribution of alcohol.

  • Smoking and drinking alcohol are strictly prohibited in public places, bus stands, parks, stadiums, railway stations and other public areas.

  • Legal action will be take cause disturbance in public places.

  • Prior permission should be obtained for using sound recording systems, loud speakers. The sound level should comply with the Noise Pollution Rules 2000 and the directions of the Supreme Court. DJ is strictly prohibited.

  • The organizers should take additional measures to prevent any mishap. Individual parking arrangements should be made.

  • The managers of hotels, clubs or special events where New Year celebrations are held should not serve alcohol to individuals below the age of 18. Minors should not be allowed to enter such events unless accompanied by their parents.

  • Obscene dances, semi-nude performances, gambling and other obscene activities are strictly prohibited.

  • Special task forces will be deployed to prevent harassment, violence or obscene activities against women in the name of festivals.

  • Disturbing caused to residences, hotels, hostels or compounds is also prohibited during this time.

  • Smoking, drinking, or indecent behavior in public spaces such as parks, bus stands, and railway stations is banned. Strict action will be taken against those disturbing public peace, engaging in harassment, or performing obscene acts.

  • A rapid task force comprising traffic police and experts has been formed to keep a watch on those who drive after drinking alcohol. This task force will be operational in all areas of Mangaluru city. Appropriate legal action will be taken against those who drive in an inebriated state.

  • Spontaneous activities, wheeling, drag racing, speeding and loud noise-producing activities are strictly prohibited. Special teams will be deployed to prevent these incidents.

  • Consumption of alcohol, obscene acts, other obscene displays in other public places or on the seashore are strictly prohibited.

  • Burning of fireworks in a manner that disturbs the peace of the public on the pretext of New Year celebrations is prohibited.

  • Organizers should coordinate necessary fire-fighting equipment, emergency medical vehicles and other security measures.

All these guidelines have been issued in the interest of public safety and law and order, the Commissioner said in a statement.

Get all the latest, breaking news from Mangaluru and Dakshina Kannada in a single click. CLICK HERE to get all the latest news from Mangaluru.