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Tharoor shares list of leaders backing him in Cong contest with Kharge| Top 10
Congress presidential elections: The elections are scheduled for October 17, and the results would be announced two days later.
After Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday came to the Congress headquarters in Delhi with over 30 senior party colleagues to file his nomination in an apparent show of strength, the elections for the top party post caught attention yet again. The days-long controversy in Rajasthan - amid rift between loyalists of chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot - had taken the attention away from the October 17 election for the grand old party to choose its next president. Now, only Shashi Tharoor and Kharge are in fray.
Here are top updates on the Congress elections.
1. On Saturday, Tharoor began his campaign from Maharashtra’s Nagpur. In a tweet, he wrote: “I present my 60 nominees. 12 states, all levels of leadership but all proud @INCIndia workers. I thank them & the thousands of workers they represent for the faith they have placed in me. Thanks, my Parliamentary colleagues, for your unwavering support.”
2. Karti P Chidambaram is among the proposers of Tharoor, who is using “#ThinkTharoorThinkTomorrow” as his campaign hashtag on social media in reiteration of his message that he represents change. “Colleagues from far and wide, thank you for your support for my candidacy,” he wrote in another tweet.
3. On Saturday, speaking to news agency ANI, the 66-year-old leader had insisted that his contest with Kharge was “not a battle”. “But for those who are satisfied with the party functioning should choose Kharge Sahab, and those who want change should choose me.”
4. Amid buzz that Kharge has been backed by the Gandhis, Tharoor has been insisting that the elections are “free and fair”, and he has been told that by the party leadership.
5. The party too has clarified as much.
6. Meanwhile, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot was among several top leaders who were seen by the side of Kharge when he filed his nomination, very close to the deadline.
7. Among his proposers are also G-23 leaders - Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari. G-23 leaders had sought sweeping changes in the party and their letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi - about two years ago - had led to a massive controversy.
8. Gehlot, who had announced his candidacy, dropped out of the race after his loyalists registered protest and submitted resignations over likelihood of Sachin Pilot succeeding Gehlot as CM in case a situation arisies.
9. Former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh too bowed down from the crucial contest, after confirmation of candidature, saying he could not contest against Kharge. He said he would be Kharge’s proposer in a mark of respect.
10. The nomination of KN Tripathi, who was the only other leader in fray, was rejected on Saturday. It’s a clear contest between Kharge and Tharoor now.
