UP Congress leader claims he wasn't allowed to contest against Rahul

Lucknow, Dec 7 :  A Congress leader from western Uttar Pradesh on Thursday alleged that he wanted to contest the presidential election in the party against Vice President Rahul Gandhi but was prevented from doing so.

Talking to reporters, Ayub Ali said that he had gone to meet the Congress' Central Election Authority chairman Mullpally Ramchandran and was not only disallowed to file the nomination papers for the post but also shouted at.

"I was told that I cannot contest the polls and that Rahul Gandhi was the only candidate for the top post... he (Ramachandran) also asked me to get out of the office.... how is this a democracy?" he questioned while airing his disappointment at being mistreated by the party's returning officer for the presidential election.

After the scrutiny of the nomination papers, Rahul Gandhi is the sole candidate in the fray. Last date of withdrawal of nomination papers is 3 p.m. on December 11. Elevation of Gandhi to the top party post is now just a foregone conclusion. 

The polls have however been mired in controversy as Congress leader from Maharashtra, Shehzaad Poonawala had questioned the procedure and had said that the entire process was a farce as this was a "selection and not election".