Tag: Mallikarjun Kharge

Kharge Rahul Gandhi

Will Give Non-BJP Govt Under Rahul’s Leadership: Kharge

By LokMarg

In significant remarks pertaining to the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the next Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday that the party “will form a non-BJP government” under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing a public rally in Hyderabad during Bharat Jodo Yatra, Kharge also attacked the TRS government in Telangana, saying it had extended support to some bills in parliament which were opposed by the opposition parties and it was now talking of ousting the BJP government at the Centre.
“Whenever we used to oppose any bill in Parliament, they (TRS) used to support BJP but they still say that they’ll bring a non-BJP government. If anybody has to bring a non-BJP government, it’s us who’ll form a non-BJP government under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership,” Kharge said.

Kharge, who was elected Congress president last month, had sidestepped a similar question before his elevation to the top party post.

“There is a saying ‘Bakrid mein bachenge toh Muharram mein nachenge’. First, let these elections get over and let me become president, then we’ll see,” Kharge had said when asked who would be the party’s prime ministerial face.

There have been efforts by some opposition leaders to bring together opposition parties against the BJP for the 2024 elections.

In his remarks at the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP and TRS of “working together” and alleged that state Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao does “drama before polls” but is in “direct line” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Whenever there’s any bill in Parliament, TRS supports BJP and diverts attention from Opposition issues. BJP and TRS work together. Your CM (KCR) does drama before polls but he’s in direct line with PM Modi. PM Modi gives orders to your CM on phone,” Rahul Gandhi alleged.

Telangana will face assembly polls next year. The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti has decided to change its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi as part of its ambitions to have a national footprint. (ANI)

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Kharge Announced To Implement Udaipur Declaration: Sachin Pilot

By LokMarg

With Mallikarjun Kharge taking over at the helm of affairs in Congress, Sachin Pilot on Wednesday said that 50 percent of party posts would be given to party workers below 50 years of age as per Udaipur Declaration.

Sachin also reiterated that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi will always remain the leaders of the party.
Pilot, who arrived in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida earlier today, said that a message has been sent to the other parties through the election of Kharge as party president that Congress is capable of conducting free and fair elections.

“Mallikarjun Kharge has taken charge as the president of the party. It is a good sign for democracy that such a big election concluded successfully in such a large party. Congress has the ability to conduct fair elections with utmost transparency. Kharge has vast experience,” he said while speaking to the reporters.

“He has always worked as a worker of the Congress party. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were and will always be leaders of our party, but we will fight all the challenges in front of us. We’ll start working for the upcoming elections,” he said while mentioning about the challenges in two states- Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh within this year, and then the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls.

“A message has been sent from Delhi that Congress has done something which no other party has done. Nobody knows how the BJP president is elected,” Pilot added.

Mentioning the Udaipur declaration that was adopted in May earlier this year in the three-day Chintan Shivir, Pilot said that Kharge would implement the declaration.

“The party has adopted the Udaipur declaration. Kharge Ji had announced to implement this as soon as he got elected. The party had passed a declaration with a consensus to give opportunities to the youth. The party will give 50 percent of the posts at all levels to those workers of the party who are below 50 years of age,” he said.

Soon after taking over the reins of Congress, Kharge said, “We decided at the Udaipur ‘Chintan Shivir’ to reserve 50 percent of the party posts for those below 50 years of age. We will move forward with that, with support from all of you.”

“We will defeat those who spread hatred,” he said, naming the ruling BJP and its parent body RSS as “those who want to divide India”.

Earlier today, Kharge, who succeeds Sonia Gandhi, said it was a matter of pride to carry forward the legacy of Congress.

“It’s an emotional moment for me. I want to thank Congress people for making a worker’s son, an ordinary worker, the president of Congress. It is a matter of pride to carry forward the legacy of the Congress,” he said.

The 80-year-old Congress veteran said that it was a matter of privilege and pride for him to handle the responsibility as a party that was led by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Subhash Chandra Bose.

“As president, it will be my utmost duty to look after our workers. Together, we will build an India that will be enlightened, empowered, and equal for every citizen. We will uphold the Constitution of this country, respect everyone’s rights and give equal opportunities, defeat those who spread hate, and fight inflation, unemployment, and hunger,” he said. (ANI)

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Kharge Officially Takes Charge As Cong Prez

By LokMarg

Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday officially took charge as the party president at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in the national capital.

Congress Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry handed over the certificate of election to the top post.
“I hope other parties draw a lesson from the Congress and hold polls for the presidency by secret ballot,” said Mistry.

Former party president Sonia Gandhi, MP Rahul Gandhi, and the party’s General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with other senior leaders and MPs were present at the occasion.

Ahead of the event at the Congress headquarters today, Kharge met former prime minister Manmohan Singh at his home yesterday. This morning, he paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial, Rajghat. He also visited memorials of former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi, besides former deputy PM Jagjivan Ram.

Kharge, who was elected the first Congress chief outside the Nehru-Gandhi family in 24 years, has his task cut out as the party faces several electoral and organizational challenges.

A man of vast organizational and administrative experience, Kharge entered the electoral fray for the party’s top post after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot opted against contesting.

Kharge, 80, was seen as the “establishment’s candidate” against Shashi Tharoor and polled 7,897 votes against 1072 received by his rival.

A leader who has risen from the grassroots, Kharge belongs to the Dalit community and will be the second leader from Karnataka to hold the top party post after S Nijalingappa became the Congress president in 1968.

In over five decades of experience in active politics, Kharge has been a union minister, and Congress leader in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and has held several portfolios in Karnataka where he was MLA nine times.

A combative, articulate, and accessible politician who is comfortable both in Hindi and English, Kharge has been a strong critic of the BJP-led government.

He faces major challenges to work out strategies in terms of Congress revival in the Hindi heartland states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as also in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The Congress has seen an erosion in its base in some other states including in the northeast. AAP is also seeking to emerge as a challenger in some states.

While Kharge’s immediate challenges are the assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat which will go the polls later this year, several other states including his home state Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan will go the polls next year before the crucial battle in the 2024 general election.

Many senior party leaders have left Congress in recent months and years and the Congress debacle in Punjab and Uttarakhand assembly polls earlier this year has been blamed on the choices party leadership made in these states.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on Bharat Jodo Yatra, indicated that Kharge will decide his role.

Kharge will take over as party chief from Sonia Gandhi, who was serving as interim chief after Rahul Gandhi stepped down following the party’s debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Sonia Gandhi had earlier steered the party for 19 years and played a pivotal role in the formation of two UPA governments.

A former union minister of Labour and Railways, Kharge resigned as Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha to contest the presidential polls in accordance with the one person, one post norm.

Born on July 21, 1942, Kharge was active in student politics and was general secretary 1964-65 of the Students Union in Government Arts and Science College in Gulbarga.

He was vice president of the Students Union Law College, Gulbarga, in 1966-67 and became president of the Gulbarga City Congress Committee in 1969.

Kharge served as MLA in Karnataka nine times between 1972 and 2009 and held several portfolios as minister including education, revenue, rural development, and large and medium industry, transport, and water resources.

He was president of the Karnataka Congress from 2005 to 2008 and also served as Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly from 1996-99 and from 2008-09.

He was elected to Lok Sabha in 2009 and 2014 and elected to Rajya Sabha in 2020. As Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, he raised various issues vociferously.

Kharge was seen as a top contender for the CM post in Karnataka several times but never got the role. Kharge did not protest and continued to work as a disciplined party worker.

Congress leaders said Kharge will be the second Dalit president in the party’s long history.

Kharge is credited with several initiatives in his ministerial tenures. As Union Minister, he revamped the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, extended insurance and benefits for workers in both organized and unorganized sectors, and ESIC hospitals throughout the country were modernized.

As Railway Minister, he gave emphasis on funding projects in the northeastern states in the railway budget and initiated reforms such as the creation of the Rail Tariff Regulatory Authority.

With Kharge’s election as the new party chief, the Congress will seek to blunt the BJP’s attack on it over “family-oriented politics”. (ANI)

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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge

Kharge To Take Charge As Cong Prez On Oct 26

By LokMarg

The Newly elected President of the Indian National Congress Mallikarjun Kharge will take charge of the post on October 26 at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters. All Congress Working Committee members, MPs, Pradesh Congress Committee presidents, CLP leaders, former CMs, former State presidents, and other AICC office bearers are invited to the program.

The invitation has been sent to all the above stakeholders by the General Secretary organization KC Venugopal
Congress is expected to resolve the Rajasthan Congress crisis soon after Kharge assumes his position, added the sources.

Also, Kharge will visit poll-bound states like Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat soon.

At the same time, after October 30, Congress will show its strength in Himachal and Gujarat elections. Between October 31 and November 10, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hold four rallies and four road shows in Himachal. October 31 was specially chosen by Priyanka because former prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on this day.

Priyanka has said that, had Indira Gandhi not been murdered, her wish would have been to build a house in Himachal after retirement.

Vadra will hold rallies and roadshows in Mandi and Kullu on October 31; Kangra and Chamba on November 3; Hamirpur and Una on November 7 and Shimla and Sirmona on November 10.

On the other hand, on the day of the break of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi will step out of the place of the Yatra for the first time and address a big rally in Himachal in the first week of November to boost the party’s campaign.

Similarly, in Gujarat, after October 30, the programs of Priyanka and Rahul are being finalized. Rahul may not have gone to Delhi or elsewhere after taking a break from the Bharat Jodo Yatra but will go to campaign in the election states. In Gujarat, preparations are being made to organize road shows, rallies, and conferences like Mahila-Farmer-Dalit of both leaders.

That is, the Congress, which seems to be lagging behind in the campaign of the central leadership of BJP and AAP in Himachal and especially in Gujarat, is preparing to try hard in the election season of both states as soon as the festive week of Diwali ends. (ANI)

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Kharge Rahul Gandhi

Cong Is An Example Of Democracy: Kharge After Win

By LokMarg

Mallikarjun Kharge, who was elected new Congress president on Wednesday, said that the party has presented an “example of strengthening the country’s democracy by conducting organizational elections” at a time when “democracy is in danger” in the country.

Kharge got 7,897 votes in the presidential contest and his opponent Shashi Tharoor received 1,072 votes in the voting held on October 17.
Addressing the media after his victory, Kharge said Congress has “continuously strengthened democracy” in the 75-year history of the country and protected the Constitution.

“Now when democracy is in danger and Constitution is being attacked, and every institution is being broken, Congress has presented an example of strengthening the country’s democracy by conducting organizational elections at the national level. I thank everyone connected with the election,” he said.

He also congratulated Tharoor and said that they discussed methods to take the party forward. Tharoor had visited Kharge’s residence to congratulate him on his victory.

“I want to congratulate my partner Shashi Tharoor as well. We were contesting the election as representatives. He met me and we discussed how to take the party forward,” Kharge said.

The Congress president-elect expressed his gratitude to outgoing party chief Sonia Gandhi and said that she made “personal sacrifices” for a number of years to serve the party. He also hailed her leadership stating that the Congress-led coalition came to power at the Centre twice while she was party chief.

“I want to thank Sonia Gandhi on behalf of all party workers. She has made personal sacrifices and served the party for 25 years with hard sweat and blood. Under her leadership, we formed our government at the Centre twice. Her tenure (as party president) will be remembered in history,” he said.

Kharge appealed to people to join former party president Rahul Gandhi in Bharat Jodo Yatra.

“The biggest problem in the country is inflation and unemployment, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening and hatred is being spread by the government. Rahul Gandhi has undertaken the 3,570 km-long yatra to create a mass movement against these problems. The entire country is connecting with his struggle. I appeal to the people of the country to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra with Rahul Gandhi for the country’s welfare,” he said.

“We all have to work like workers of the party, nobody is big or small in the party. We have to unitedly fight against the fascist forces that are attacking the democratic institutions under the garb of communalism,” Kharge added.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, who was present at the press conference, said that Kharge will take charge on October 26.

Earlier today, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on reached Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence and congratulated him on being elected as the new party president.

Rahul Gandhi also extended wishes to Kharge and said that the post he has been elected to “represents a democratic vision of India”.

Gandhi said that Kharge’s vast experience will serve the party well.

“Congratulations to Mallikarjun Khargeji on being elected as the President of @INCIndia. The Congress President represents a democratic vision of India. His vast experience and ideological commitment will serve the party well as he takes on this historic responsibility,” Gandhi tweeted.

Chairman of Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) Madhusudan Mistry declared that Kharge has been elected the new president of the party.

“The total counted votes was 9,385 of which Mallikarjun Kharge received 7,897 votes and Shashi Tharoor received 1,072 votes. 416 were invalid votes. As per Article 18 (D) of the Constitution of Indian National, I hereby declare Mallikarjun Kharge as the elected President of Congress,” Mistry said. (ANI)

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New Congress Chief

Kharge Is New Congress Chief; Revival Begins, Says, Tharoor

By LokMarg

Veteran politician Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday swept the party’s presidential polls paving the way for him to become the first non-Gandhi chief of Congress party in over two decades.

Chairman of the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) Madhusudan Mistry today declared Mallikarjun Kharge as the elected President of the party.
“The total counted votes were 9,385, of which Mallikarjun Kharge received 7,897 votes and Shashi Tharoor received 1,072 votes. 416 were invalid votes. As per Article 18 (D) of the Constitution of Indian National, I hereby declare Mallikarjun Kharge as the elected President of Congress,” said Mistry.

Kharge’s opponent conceded defeat and went to the New Delhi residence of the Congress President-elect to congratulate him on his victory.

Tharoor said he believed “the revival of the party begins today”. “It is a great honor and a huge responsibility to be President of the INC and I wish Kharge Ji all success in the task,” the MP from Thiruvananthapuram tweeted.

Before the results were announced, party leader Rahul Gandhi during a press conference apparently jumped the gun and referred to Kharge as the party president.

“I can’t comment on Congress President’s role, that’s for Mr. Kharge (party’s Presidential candidate) to comment on. The President will decide what my role is…and where I will be deployed ask Kharge ji, Sonia ji,” said the Congress MP in Kurnool amid the Andhra Pradesh leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Meanwhile, other leaders of the party congratulated Kharge on his victory.

Party leader Jairam Ramesh said that Kharge’s victory is a triumph for the forces who place ideological commitment over personal glory.

“Mallikarjun Kharge has completed 50 years in electoral politics. He has distinguished himself as a legislator and Minister in the state and at the Centre. He is a shining symbol of social empowerment inspired by Nehru, Ambedkar, Indira Gandhi, and Devaraj Urs,” Ramesh said in a tweet.

He further said that Kharge has always avoided flamboyance and has been the quintessential organization man working in a self-effacing manner to advance the collective interests of the Congress party.

He has the good wishes of all Congressmen and Congresswomen, he added.

Rajasthan Cong leader Sachin Pilot greeted Kharge and said that he has faith that the latter’s experience will benefit the party

“Mallikarjun Kharge won with a huge majority; a win of democracy. I congratulated him. I’ve faith his experience will benefit the party…9000 elected people elected the President, this was never done before by any party. Opposition must be nervous today,” said Pilot.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said that Kharge has won with eight times more votes than Tharoor.

“Mallikarjun Kharge wins the Congress presidential elections with 7897 votes, Shashi Tharoor got about 1000 votes. Kharge has won with 8 times more votes,” said Tiwari.

For the first time in 24 years, the party has got a chief who does not belong to the Nehru-Gandhi family.

The new president will take place of Sonia Gandhi who has been serving as interim president after Rahul Gandhi stepped down from the post following the party’s debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Congress sources also said the elected president will take charge after Diwali in the presence of senior leaders in a program at the Congress headquarters.

Meanwhile, ahead of the declaration of results for the party’s top post, the Shashi Tharoor camp approached the party’s election authority alleging that it suspected “extremely serious irregularities” in Uttar Pradesh on the day of the polling and demanded that all votes from the state be deemed invalid.

In a letter to Congress Central Authority Chairman Madhusudan Mistry, Salman Soz the election agent to Tharoor wrote about “disturbing facts” including “reports of minor violations” guidelines in a few states including Uttar Pradesh during the polling on Monday.

The ex-Member of Parliament (MP) Salman Anees Soz in his letter underlined that they had no evidence that Mallikarjun Kharge was aware of how his supporters were engaging in electoral malpractice in Uttar Pradesh.

Incidentally, Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates. (ANI)

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First Non-Gandhi Prez

Cong To Get First Non-Gandhi Prez In 24 Yrs, Counting Began At 10 am

By LokMarg

The Congress is set to get a new president on Wednesday with the counting to take place from 10 am.

Former Union Ministers Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are in the fray and it will be for the first time in 24 years that the party will get a party chief who does not belong to the Nehru-Gandhi family.
The new president will take the place of Sonia Gandhi who had been serving as interim president after Rahul Gandhi stepped down from the post following the party’s debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The result is likely to be declared between 3 pm to 4 pm. The ballot boxes from the state headquarters have reached the counting place in the Congress office.

Mallikarjun Kharge is seen as the favorite to win the contest. Five agents from each side will oversee the counting while two agents from both sides will be kept in reserve, sources said.

The Chairman of the Central Election Authority will announce the result after counting. More than 9,500 delegates cast their votes in the presidential election which took place at the culmination of the party’s organizational polls.

Sources said seven-eight tables will be set up for counting of votes and each table will have two persons.

Congress sources said the elected president will take charge after Diwali in the presence of senior leaders in a program at the Congress headquarters.

It has not been decided whether the certificate will be given to the winner on Wednesday or later.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who was earlier the frontrunner for the post, will be in Delhi tomorrow. Rahul Gandhi will continue on the Bharat Jodo Yatra. (ANI)

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Not Prepared For The Role of Kerala CM, says Shashi Tharoor

Revival Of Cong Has Begun: Tharoor; Kharge: Together We Will Build Party

By LokMarg

Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, who is pitted against party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge for the post of the Congress president on Monday, said the revival of the grand old party has begun whatever the outcome and that the fate of the Indian National Congress lies in the hands of the party workers.

Voting for the Congress presidential polls commenced at 10 am today and will culminate at 4 pm. Results will be declared on October 19. The fate of the Congress party will be decided by over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates who comprise the electoral college for electing the party chief.
Tharoor said that he was confident of winning the election but acknowledged the odds stacked against him

“I am confident. The fate of the Congress party is in the hands of party workers. The odds have been stacked against us as the party leaders and establishment were overwhelming with the other candidate,” Tharoor told media persons at Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram today.

Tharoor also said he had spoken to Kharge earlier in the day

“Today I spoke to Mr. Kharge and said whatever has happened, we remain colleagues and friends,” Tharoor said.

Kharge also told ANI today: “It is part of our internal 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.”

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said that Congress was the only political party to hold elections for its president.

“This is a historic day. Rahul Gandhi will cast his vote in Ballari during Bharat Jodo Yatra. Party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi is expected to cast her vote around 11 am,” he told ANI.

Tharoor took to Twitter and said that they shared “devotion to the success of the Congress”.

Previously, Tharoor had said that if one just “plays safe”, they lose.

He tweeted, “Some people play safe in order not to lose. But if you just play safe, you will definitely lose.”

On Thursday, Tharoor alleged that he has been facing differential treatment from the party leaders as against his opponent Mallikarjun Kharge.

In the previous week, Tharoor had said he could act as a catalyst of change for the grand old party in order to revive the party’s presence in the country.

Meanwhile, Congress veteran leader and party’s presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge had said that his name was not suggested by the party supremo Sonia Gandhi and dismissed the speculations of receiving support from the party’s interim president.

Kharge said that Sonia Gandhi had never suggested his name for the party president position and called it a rumor.

Kharge further said that members of the party have elected delegates which are 9,300 in number, who will vote for the candidate and the one with the majority would be elected.

With the party, all set to elect its new president, the 75 delegates, including interim chief Sonia Gandhi, General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and other members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and senior leaders will cast their vote in the headquarters of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in New Delhi.

Apart from these, 280 other delegates will also cast their vote in the Delhi Congress office, the sources added.

The delegates who obtained prior permission from the Central Election Authority to cast their vote will vote in Delhi instead of their own state today.

It is not the first time that a non-Gandhi leader is contesting for the party presidency post-Independence, Jitendra Prasad contested for the post of the president about 22 years ago against Sonia Gandhi in which she emerged as a winner holding the mantle of the party for 20 years.

Sonia Gandhi is the longest-serving president of the party, having held the office for over twenty years from 1998 to 2017 and since 2019.

This time no member of the Gandhi family is contesting for the post of President.

This is the sixth time in its nearly 137-year-old history that polls are being conducted to elect the national president of the party. In the 2017 elections, Rahul Gandhi became the president unopposed. (ANI)

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tharoor On Uneven Playfield In Prez Polls

Difference In Treatment: Tharoor On Uneven Playfield In Prez Polls

By LokMarg

Ahead of the run-up to Congress presidential polls, party MP and a contender for the top post-Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said he has been facing differential treatment from the party leaders as against his opponent Mallikarjun Kharge.

Notably, Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge are up against each other in the race for the post of Congress President.
Addressing a press conference here, Tharoor said, “We are contesting elections. There is no spirit of enmity in our party. Kharge Sahab is my senior leader and I have worked closely with him. The election is about two colleagues seeing how to work to strengthen the party.”

On his “uneven playing field” remark, Congress presidential candidate Tharoor said, “…In several PCCs, leaders welcomed and met Kharge Sahab. The same was not done for me. I visited PCCs but PCC chiefs were not available. I am not complaining, but do you not see a difference in treatment?”

He said his party men should vote for him only if they are seeking a change in Congress.

“Do you want the party to go with change or are you satisfied with everything? If you think everything is fine, do not vote for me as I want such a change in the party that would bring back voters who did not remain with us in 2014 and 2019,” added the Thiruvananthapuram MP.

Earlier this week, Tharoor had said he could act as a catalyst of change for the grand old party in order to revive the party’s presence in the country.

Regarding rumors that Kharge is an official candidate for party chief and he is not, Tharoor said, “Some people are saying Kharge is an official candidate and I am no one. But I want to say that the Gandhi family is unbiased and no one is an official candidate as we are standing for strengthening of the Congress party. If someone is saying that delegates are asked to vote for a certain person, it’s not true.”

Meanwhile, Congress veteran leader and party’s presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge had said that his name was not suggested by the party supremo Sonia Gandhi and dismissed the speculations of receiving support from the party’s interim president.

Kharge said that Sonia Gandhi had never suggested his name for the party president position and called it a rumor.

Kharge further said that members of the party have elected delegates which are 9,300 in the number who will vote for the candidate and the one with the majority would be elected.

Notably, Digvijaya Singh pulled out from the race earlier and extended his support to Kharge, who he said is a senior and respected leader of the party, and against whom he “cannot think of contesting”.

Singh was the second Congress leader to pull out of the race after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced he would not contest the elections following the political turmoil in his state.

With the Gandhis not running for the top post, the grand old party is all set to get a non-Gandhi president after over 25 years.

Voting will take place on October 17 and the election results will be declared on October 19. (ANI)

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Uttar Pradesh Congressman

Transparency in Congress Presidential Poll Proves its Inner Democracy

By LokMarg

Dwijendra Tripathi, a veteran Congressman from Uttar Pradesh, says that the new party president will take decisions guided by his own discretion and conscience

The decision by the Gandhi family to hold election for the post of Congress president has been taken to strengthen the inner democracy in the party. And if you notice the recent developments, you will find that the entire process is being carried out by the rulebook in the most transparent manner.

The party leadership made it clear that it had no favourite candidate and anyone was free to run for the post, as per the party constitution. Of the two candidates in the fray – Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge – neither could be termed as the blue eyed boy of the Gandhi family. There was no pressure on anyone to withdraw his candidature and allow the party president be elected unopposed.

Now look at the decision of Madhusudan Mistry, the chairman of the central election authority, who issued a circular asking for the resignation of party office bearers who wish to be involved in the campaigning of either of the candidate. Three party spokespersons, Deepender Hooda, Syed Hussain and Gourav Vallabh resigned from their party posts as they supported Kharge and are campaigning for him.

This clearly establishes the transparency in the organisational elections. This is a sharp rebuttal to the national BJP leaders who never leave a chance to label Congress party as a dynasty. Gandhi family is a glue that binds the party together, not a feudal dynasty which rules over the Congress. The lies being spread by the BJP now stand exposed. The working president Sonia Gandhi has upheld the democratic principles in holding the elections.

ALSO READ: ‘Whoever Be Party President, Rahul’s Writ Will Be Unchallenged’

It is this inner democracy that gives strength to the party workers that the new party president – be it Tharoor or Kharge – will take decisions in the interest of the party independently. Of course, the guidance and sway of the Gandhi family in the party remains unquestioned.

I am confident that once the new president assumes office, visible changes will take place through collective will in a democratic way, not by one individual. On the recent resolutions being passed by various state units seeking Rahul Gandhi as the party president, every party worker is free to express his or her feelings in a democratic setup.

Yes, there was an unsavoury incident in Rajasthan when loyalists of state chief minister Ashok Gehlot tried to create a ruckus. But that matter was amicably resolved when Mr Gehlot withdrew his candidature and sought forgiveness from the working president.

Barring this distasteful incident, the election process has been most fair and transparent. And I have a feeling that once the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra concludes, an exemplary decision will be taken over the internal squabble in Rajasthan unit that will send a strong message to the party cadre.

As told to Rajat Rai