Gandhi family on Thursday chose ‘tested and trusted’ veteran leader and Dalit face Mallikarjun Kharge for the election of Congress President. Kharge, supported by as many as 30 Congress leaders including many from the rebellion Group of 23, filed his nomination for the top post. Kharge is pitted against the main contender Shashi Tharoor.
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.
After filing his nomination, Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said he was fighting for a big change in the party. “I thank all the leaders, workers, delegates and ministers who came in support of me today and encouraged me. We will see the results on 17 October. I am hopeful that I will win,” Kharge said while addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee office here.
“I have been connected to the ideology of Congress since my childhood, I used to campaign for the same Gandhi-Nehru ideology when I was in class 8 and 9,” the 80-year-leader said adding that the efforts to revive the party shall continue.
A total of 30 senior Congress leaders including Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh and G23 leaders Manish Tewari and Anand Sharma have backed Mallikarjun Kharge in the party’s presidential polls against his primary challenger Shashi Tharoor. His candidature was proposed by senior leaders including A.K. Antony, Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Mukul Wasnik, Pramod Tiwari among others. Soon after Kharge’s nomination-filing, Congress leader Manish Tewari extended support to him and said, “Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior leader of the Congress party. I and Anand Sharma have come to support his nomination here.”
“We have come in support of his (Kharge’s) nomination. Shashi Tharoor was, is and will be our friend. Those who have spent their entire lives in Congress are here. Digvijaya Singh has shown grace and withdrawn his candidature. It would be good if there is a consensus,” Tewari added.
Even Shashi Tharoor, who is the main contender, also supported Kharge terming him as the ‘Bhishma Pita’ of the Congress. Tharoor said that he will not withdraw his nomination and that the contest will be a friendly and there is no rivalry between the candidates.
As support poured in from a broad section of the party, it is almost certain that Kharge will be the next President of Congress. Indicating that Kharge is practically a ‘Consensus’ candidate, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said that his party was the only one to have a system for the party supremo’s post.
Nominations for the post of Congress president closed at 3 p.m. on Friday and results will be declared on 19 October.
