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Cong prez poll: Rahul, Kharge, 494 K’taka unit workers vote
Congressmen in Karnataka are hopeful that Kharge would be elected to the post of the party president in the poll.
A total of 494 Congress members from the state unit of the party casted their vote across the state to elect the new national president of the party, officials in the know of the developments said on Monday. Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka Mallikarjun Kharge is in a head-to-head battle against Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor to replace the post currently held by Sonia Gandhi. Results of the election would be declared on October 19.
On Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and former president of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Rahul Gandhi who has been leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra for the last month, cast his vote at a booth set up in Sanganakallu on the outskirts of Ballari district. Gandhi has been staying here for the last two days.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, among other senior party members, including Leader of Opposition in the legislative assembly Siddaramaiah and state Congress president D K Shivakumar exercised their franchise at the office of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, Congressmen in Karnataka are hopeful that Kharge would be elected to the post of the party president in the poll.
“Kharge is a very senior leader and has worked for the Congress for over 50 years. He has immense experience of being a legislator, opposition leader, minister and much more. I believe he will win this election with a large margin...all the votes in Karnataka will go to him. His victory is assured,” said Siddaramaiah.
DK Shivakumar said that it is only natural that votes from the state would go to a leader from Karnataka.
“I am not campaigning for anyone. I am focussing on holding free and fair elections in the state. He is a tall leader from Karnataka with over 50 years of experience. So, it is only natural that he gets the votes from his home state. When the Gandhi family isn’t contesting, he is the next big leader with rich experience. I just want to say that the loyalty will pay him royalty,” said Shivakumar.
In Sanganakallu, a special polling booth was set up at the Bharat Jodo Yatra camp by converting a mobile meeting room container to facilitate eligible voters to exercise their franchise.
National coordinator of Bharat Jodo Yatra Digvijaya Singh, AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala, Congress communication department head Jairam Ramesh, Lok Sabha member DK Suresh, All India Mahila Congress president Netta D’souza and Kanhaiya Kumar among others cast their votes at the Sanganakallu polling station. As many as 53 voters exercised their franchises in the booth.
However, Kharge, not willing to speak much, said there is nothing to say until election results are out. “Elections are going on well in all states, but in whose favour (votes are being cast) I don’t know.”
When told that leaders in Karnataka have said things in his favour, he said “Let’s see what happens in the ballot box...let’s see what happens after the counting.”
Earlier in the day, Kharge spoke to Tharoor and wished the latter all the best.
He said: “This is our internal election and not a general election. Whatever we said to each other is on a friendly note... Together we have to build the party... Shashi Tharoor telephoned me and wished me luck and I also said the same.”
Earlier on Sunday, four people participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra sustained injuries after getting electrocuted near Moka in Karnataka’s Ballari district. AICC general secretary Surjewala said that all the injured people are out of danger. Rahul Gandhi also visited the hospital to meet the injured.
“An unfortunate incident occurred during the yatra today. A few of our friends suffered an electric shock while tying flags to a pole. They have been tended to in the Civil Hospital, New Moka, Ballari. I am happy to see that they have not suffered any major injuries, and their morale continues to remain high. Even in this moment of distress, the spirit of the #BharatJodoYatra took over. Those injured were immediately helped and taken care of, their safety and health prioritised,” he wrote in a post on Facebook.
If elected, the 80-year-old Kharge would be the second AICC president from Karnataka after S Nijalingappa and also a second Dalit leader after Jagjivan Ram to hold the post.
With PTI inputs
