The Congress presidential poll will take place on October 17 and the results will be out on October 19.
Mallikarjun Kharge, who is running for Congress president, tackled a question today on the prime ministerial candidate for 2024 as he campaigned in Madhya Pradesh for the party's internal election on Monday (October 17). He said he would cross the bridge when he comes to it.
Asked whether, as the possible next Congress president, he would be up against Rahul Gandhi when it came to naming the party's prime ministerial face for the 2024 national election, Mr Kharge said it was too early to say.
"Let us deal with these elections first. There is a saying - Bakrid mein bachenge toh muharram mein nachenge (if the goat survives Bakrid then it will dance during muharram). First let the vote get over, let me become chief, then we will see," Mr Kharge remarked.
The former Union Minister is almost certain to win the election, which is the first in over 20 years without a Gandhi in the mix.
The 80-year-old Congress veteran made a late entry into the contest for the party top post, reportedly after a nudge from the Gandhis and leaders close to them.
The Congress has repeatedly denied that Mr Kharge - or anyone - is the "official" candidate. Mr Kharge said he decided to contest "after the Gandhi family refused to do so".
The new Congress president will take over a party that is in a mess and struggling with an existential crisis after serial election defeats. It is also widely believed that the chief will act like a proxy for the Gandhis though it has been firmly denied by the party.
Mr Kharge's main rival for Congress chief is Shashi Tharoor. As both candidates travel to various states to seek the support of Congress delegates, the support for Mr Kharge has been far more effusive, with larger crowds for him than for Mr Tharoor in many states.
"There are certainly aspects that imply an uneven playing field," Mr Tharoor said at an NDTV townhall in Mumbai on Sunday, claiming that some leaders had told him they were "under pressure" to back Mr Kharge.
But Mr Tharoor also asserted: "The Gandhi family has made it very clear, also through the chief election authority Mr [Madhusudan] Mistry, that there's no official candidate. The Gandhi family is neutral in this race."