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Tag: Shashi Tharoor

  • Shashi Tharoor: Lost Congress presidential poll but not before making himself heard 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: He lost the election but Shashi Tharoor managed to score many a political point during his campaign for Congress president, a contest he lost to veteran party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge who was favoured to win.

    The author, wordsmith, former UN diplomat and social media pioneer with 8.3 million followers on Twitter demonstrated during the last few weeks that he is quite the opposite of a ‘quockerwodger’, a politically loaded term for a wooden puppet he introduced into our lexicon, and is instead independent minded, making moves on his own terms.

    Tharoor’s loss is reminiscent of his electoral run in the 2006 UN secretary general poll in which he was defeated by South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon but not before creating a strong buzz.

    It was in that contest perhaps that he first displayed his stomach for an electoral fight against daunting odds.

    That the often outspoken Tharoor managed 1,072 votes against perceived Gandhi favourite Kharge’s 7,897 in the presidential election, only the sixth in the party’s 137-year-old history, is believed to be quite an achievement.

    ALSO READ | Revival of Congress party has truly begun today: Tharoor on Kharge’s election as chief

    The 66-year-old raised issues of an uneven playing field during his campaign and his team filed complaints with the party’s central election authority.

    But he deftly walked the tightrope and continued to maintain that the Gandhis had pledged neutrality and stressed that the election is a significant step that will hold the party in good stead.

    Amid questions over his future, many political observers believe he has enhanced his political stature and it will not be easy for his critics and rivals in the party to pull him down.

    During the campaign, Tharoor batted for the empowerment of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents, block, mandal and booth presidents.

    “We must decentralise authority and truly empower the grassroots office-bearers of the party.

    Our PCC delegates, for instance, have literally had no role for the last 22 years but to vote in the coming election on October 17th!” he said.

    As his party battles an existential crisis with the new Congress president expected to put it on the road to revival, Tharoor also stressed in his campaign that the Congress must provide a credible alternative to the BJP’s “centralisation of authority”.

    Seen as a rebel and one of the group of 23 leaders who wrote to Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking large scale reforms, Tharoor was candid in defeat.

    He said the “democratic contest” has galvanised vibrancy at all levels and prompted a healthy and constructive discussion on change, which will serve the party in good stead in the future.

    As speculation mounted on who would be in the race for the Congress president and most of his party colleagues demurred, Tharoor was the first off the block to declare he would contest.

    Those who have followed Tharoor’s career path say two things — he is full of surprises and up for a fight without being deterred by the odds stacked against him.

    Born in London in 1956, Tharoor graduated with an honours in history from Delhi’s prestigious St Stephen’s College where he was also the president of the student’s union.

    He did his masters from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Medford, US, and completed a PhD from there in 1978.

    ALSO READ | Congress presidential poll: Tharoor’s team demands that all votes from UP be deemed invalid

    Defying the politician stereotype, Tharoor went on to have a distinguished career in the UN.

    During his stint at the UN, he shouldered several key responsibilities in peace-keeping after the Cold War and serving as senior adviser to the secretary general in addition to his role as under-secretary general for Communications and Public Information.

    Three years later, he made a lateral entry into politics in 2009 to be elected as MP from Thiruvananthapuram for the first time on a Congress ticket.

    Though his political journey began at 53, he took giant strides as a politician after winning the Lok Sabha election.

    His candidacy was opposed by a section of leaders of the Kerala Congress who viewed him as an outsider.

    Tharoor, however, won by a comfortable margin over his nearest opponent from the Communist Party of India.

    He was appointed Union minister of state for External Affairs in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

    Tharoor is a pioneer in using social media as an instrument of political interaction.

    He was India’s most-followed politician on Twitter till 2013 when he was overtaken by current Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The man of letters, making headlines for his politics and sometimes also for throwing little used words that have his Twitter followers reaching for the dictionary, finds himself at the centre of controversy every now and then.

    In 2009, for instance, he made a comment about travelling ‘cattle class’ for which he had to apologise.

    He was also accused of having a questionable interest in a cricket team from the Kerala city of Kochi while he was a minister.

    He resigned from the MEA in April 2010. His personal life saw a tragic turn in January 2014 when his wife Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in a suite at a luxury hotel here.

    Tharoor was later charged under section 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code by Delhi Police. A Delhi court discharged him in the case last year.

    The year of his wife’s death was also when he won a second Lok Sabha term from Thiruvananthapuram, swimming against the tide of a massive Modi wave.

    However, his victory margin came down from 99,998 votes in 2009 to over 15,000.

    In 2019, he won the seat for a third time, defeating his main rival and BJP-NDA candidate Kummanam Rajashekharan by a margin of 99,989 votes.

    In July 2020, Tharoor crossed a milestone by becoming the longest-serving parliamentarian representing the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency.

    Tharoor has been a prolific writer and authored about 23 books, including ‘The Great Indian Novel’, ‘An Era of Darkness’, ‘Why I Am A Hindu’ and ‘The Paradoxical Prime Minister’.

    He has also won several awards and bestowed with prestigious honours such as the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for the Best Book of the Year in the Eurasian Region for ‘The Great Indian Novel’ and Spain’s Commander of the Order of Charles III as well as France’s Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.

    NEW DELHI: He lost the election but Shashi Tharoor managed to score many a political point during his campaign for Congress president, a contest he lost to veteran party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge who was favoured to win.

    The author, wordsmith, former UN diplomat and social media pioneer with 8.3 million followers on Twitter demonstrated during the last few weeks that he is quite the opposite of a ‘quockerwodger’, a politically loaded term for a wooden puppet he introduced into our lexicon, and is instead independent minded, making moves on his own terms.

    Tharoor’s loss is reminiscent of his electoral run in the 2006 UN secretary general poll in which he was defeated by South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon but not before creating a strong buzz.

    It was in that contest perhaps that he first displayed his stomach for an electoral fight against daunting odds.

    That the often outspoken Tharoor managed 1,072 votes against perceived Gandhi favourite Kharge’s 7,897 in the presidential election, only the sixth in the party’s 137-year-old history, is believed to be quite an achievement.

    ALSO READ | Revival of Congress party has truly begun today: Tharoor on Kharge’s election as chief

    The 66-year-old raised issues of an uneven playing field during his campaign and his team filed complaints with the party’s central election authority.

    But he deftly walked the tightrope and continued to maintain that the Gandhis had pledged neutrality and stressed that the election is a significant step that will hold the party in good stead.

    Amid questions over his future, many political observers believe he has enhanced his political stature and it will not be easy for his critics and rivals in the party to pull him down.

    During the campaign, Tharoor batted for the empowerment of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents, block, mandal and booth presidents.

    “We must decentralise authority and truly empower the grassroots office-bearers of the party.

    Our PCC delegates, for instance, have literally had no role for the last 22 years but to vote in the coming election on October 17th!” he said.

    As his party battles an existential crisis with the new Congress president expected to put it on the road to revival, Tharoor also stressed in his campaign that the Congress must provide a credible alternative to the BJP’s “centralisation of authority”.

    Seen as a rebel and one of the group of 23 leaders who wrote to Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking large scale reforms, Tharoor was candid in defeat.

    He said the “democratic contest” has galvanised vibrancy at all levels and prompted a healthy and constructive discussion on change, which will serve the party in good stead in the future.

    As speculation mounted on who would be in the race for the Congress president and most of his party colleagues demurred, Tharoor was the first off the block to declare he would contest.

    Those who have followed Tharoor’s career path say two things — he is full of surprises and up for a fight without being deterred by the odds stacked against him.

    Born in London in 1956, Tharoor graduated with an honours in history from Delhi’s prestigious St Stephen’s College where he was also the president of the student’s union.

    He did his masters from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Medford, US, and completed a PhD from there in 1978.

    ALSO READ | Congress presidential poll: Tharoor’s team demands that all votes from UP be deemed invalid

    Defying the politician stereotype, Tharoor went on to have a distinguished career in the UN.

    During his stint at the UN, he shouldered several key responsibilities in peace-keeping after the Cold War and serving as senior adviser to the secretary general in addition to his role as under-secretary general for Communications and Public Information.

    Three years later, he made a lateral entry into politics in 2009 to be elected as MP from Thiruvananthapuram for the first time on a Congress ticket.

    Though his political journey began at 53, he took giant strides as a politician after winning the Lok Sabha election.

    His candidacy was opposed by a section of leaders of the Kerala Congress who viewed him as an outsider.

    Tharoor, however, won by a comfortable margin over his nearest opponent from the Communist Party of India.

    He was appointed Union minister of state for External Affairs in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

    Tharoor is a pioneer in using social media as an instrument of political interaction.

    He was India’s most-followed politician on Twitter till 2013 when he was overtaken by current Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The man of letters, making headlines for his politics and sometimes also for throwing little used words that have his Twitter followers reaching for the dictionary, finds himself at the centre of controversy every now and then.

    In 2009, for instance, he made a comment about travelling ‘cattle class’ for which he had to apologise.

    He was also accused of having a questionable interest in a cricket team from the Kerala city of Kochi while he was a minister.

    He resigned from the MEA in April 2010. His personal life saw a tragic turn in January 2014 when his wife Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in a suite at a luxury hotel here.

    Tharoor was later charged under section 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code by Delhi Police. A Delhi court discharged him in the case last year.

    The year of his wife’s death was also when he won a second Lok Sabha term from Thiruvananthapuram, swimming against the tide of a massive Modi wave.

    However, his victory margin came down from 99,998 votes in 2009 to over 15,000.

    In 2019, he won the seat for a third time, defeating his main rival and BJP-NDA candidate Kummanam Rajashekharan by a margin of 99,989 votes.

    In July 2020, Tharoor crossed a milestone by becoming the longest-serving parliamentarian representing the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency.

    Tharoor has been a prolific writer and authored about 23 books, including ‘The Great Indian Novel’, ‘An Era of Darkness’, ‘Why I Am A Hindu’ and ‘The Paradoxical Prime Minister’.

    He has also won several awards and bestowed with prestigious honours such as the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for the Best Book of the Year in the Eurasian Region for ‘The Great Indian Novel’ and Spain’s Commander of the Order of Charles III as well as France’s Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.

  • No one is big or small, all have to work together as karyakartas to strengthen Congress: Kharge

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress president-elect Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said no one in the party is big or small and he will work as a true Congress soldier to strengthen the organisation.

    He will formally take over as the Congress president on October 26 from Sonia Gandhi who has been at the helm since Rahul Gandhi resigned after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

    Addressing a press conference after he was declared elected as the party’s president, Kharge said for him every Congress worker is equal and all have to work together to fight the fascist forces threatening democracy and the Constitution.

    Kharge defeated Shashi Tharoor in the electoral contest by polling 7,897 of 9,385 votes.

    Tharoor got 1,072 votes, while 416 votes were declared invalid.

    He said by holding organisational elections, the Congress has shown the country how internal democracy is strong in the organisation.

    “No one is small or big and we have to all work like karyakartas (workers) to strengthen the organisation,” Kharge said.

    “We have to together fight the threat to democracy and the Constitution. We have to fight the fascist forces who are attacking democracy and the people of the country,” Kharge said, assailing the forces “wearing the garb of communalism”.

    All Congress workers feel that the country cannot be sacrificed for a “tanashah” and “we have to together fight “these ‘vinaashkari’ (destructive) forces”, he said.

    Kharge said that former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had called him an hour ago and congratulated him and said that together “we all have to work towards strengthening the Congress organisation”.

    The 80-year-old Dalit leader from Karnataka also appealed to all Congress workers and people of the country to join Rahul Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Yatra which is a ‘jan andolan’ from Kanyakumari to Kashmir against price rise, unemployment and against those who are creating hatred and division in society.

    Kharge also lauded Sonia Gandhi’s leadership, saying “her tenure will be remembered for a long time”.

    “I thank Sonia Gandhi ji who made personal sacrifice as she steered the party for 23 years,” he said.

    Sonia Gandhi along with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited Kharge’s residence and congratulated him.

    He also thanked all those who participated in the organisational elections and made it happen, and also he gave best wishes to Tharoor.

    Tharoor had earlier met Kharge at his residence and congratulated him on his victory.

    NEW DELHI: Congress president-elect Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said no one in the party is big or small and he will work as a true Congress soldier to strengthen the organisation.

    He will formally take over as the Congress president on October 26 from Sonia Gandhi who has been at the helm since Rahul Gandhi resigned after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

    Addressing a press conference after he was declared elected as the party’s president, Kharge said for him every Congress worker is equal and all have to work together to fight the fascist forces threatening democracy and the Constitution.

    Kharge defeated Shashi Tharoor in the electoral contest by polling 7,897 of 9,385 votes.

    Tharoor got 1,072 votes, while 416 votes were declared invalid.

    He said by holding organisational elections, the Congress has shown the country how internal democracy is strong in the organisation.

    “No one is small or big and we have to all work like karyakartas (workers) to strengthen the organisation,” Kharge said.

    “We have to together fight the threat to democracy and the Constitution. We have to fight the fascist forces who are attacking democracy and the people of the country,” Kharge said, assailing the forces “wearing the garb of communalism”.

    All Congress workers feel that the country cannot be sacrificed for a “tanashah” and “we have to together fight “these ‘vinaashkari’ (destructive) forces”, he said.

    Kharge said that former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had called him an hour ago and congratulated him and said that together “we all have to work towards strengthening the Congress organisation”.

    The 80-year-old Dalit leader from Karnataka also appealed to all Congress workers and people of the country to join Rahul Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Yatra which is a ‘jan andolan’ from Kanyakumari to Kashmir against price rise, unemployment and against those who are creating hatred and division in society.

    Kharge also lauded Sonia Gandhi’s leadership, saying “her tenure will be remembered for a long time”.

    “I thank Sonia Gandhi ji who made personal sacrifice as she steered the party for 23 years,” he said.

    Sonia Gandhi along with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited Kharge’s residence and congratulated him.

    He also thanked all those who participated in the organisational elections and made it happen, and also he gave best wishes to Tharoor.

    Tharoor had earlier met Kharge at his residence and congratulated him on his victory.

  • Mallikarjun Kharge elected as Congress’ first non-Gandhi president in over two decades

    By Online Desk

    The Congress party elected veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge as its first non-Gandhi president in 24 years on Wednesday. Kharge secured 7897 votes while his co-contender Shashi Tharoor got about 1000 votes. 416 votes were rejected out of the 9, 500 votes counted.

    Kharge will replace Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving party president who has been at the helm since 1998, barring the two years between 2017 and 2019 when Rahul Gandhi had taken over.

    Congress central election authority chairman Mistry on Monday expressed satisfaction with the party’s presidential polls process, saying it was “free, fair and transparent”.

    He has also said it was a secret ballot and no one would get to know who voted for whom.

    Of the total 9,915 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates that formed the electoral college to pick the party chief in a secret ballot, over 9,500 cast their ballot at PCC offices and the AICC headquarters, Mistry had said at a press conference after the polling ended on Monday.

    Electors in the Congress presidential polls had been asked to put a tick mark against their candidate in the ballot paper after Tharoor’s team took up with the party’s top poll body the issue of its earlier directive that voters write “1” to reflect their preference. This, the team said, might lead to confusion.

    Ahead of the polling, Kharge had said he would have no shame in taking the advice and support of the Gandhi family in running the party affairs, if he becomes its president.

    Tharoor, on his part, took a veiled dig at some senior leaders supporting Kharge, saying that some colleagues were “indulging in ‘netagiri’ and telling party workers that they know who Sonia Gandhi wants elected”.

    The Congress party elected veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge as its first non-Gandhi president in 24 years on Wednesday. Kharge secured 7897 votes while his co-contender Shashi Tharoor got about 1000 votes. 416 votes were rejected out of the 9, 500 votes counted.

    Kharge will replace Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving party president who has been at the helm since 1998, barring the two years between 2017 and 2019 when Rahul Gandhi had taken over.

    Congress central election authority chairman Mistry on Monday expressed satisfaction with the party’s presidential polls process, saying it was “free, fair and transparent”.

    He has also said it was a secret ballot and no one would get to know who voted for whom.

    Of the total 9,915 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates that formed the electoral college to pick the party chief in a secret ballot, over 9,500 cast their ballot at PCC offices and the AICC headquarters, Mistry had said at a press conference after the polling ended on Monday.

    Electors in the Congress presidential polls had been asked to put a tick mark against their candidate in the ballot paper after Tharoor’s team took up with the party’s top poll body the issue of its earlier directive that voters write “1” to reflect their preference. This, the team said, might lead to confusion.

    Ahead of the polling, Kharge had said he would have no shame in taking the advice and support of the Gandhi family in running the party affairs, if he becomes its president.

    Tharoor, on his part, took a veiled dig at some senior leaders supporting Kharge, saying that some colleagues were “indulging in ‘netagiri’ and telling party workers that they know who Sonia Gandhi wants elected”.

  • Tharoor’s fate as Congress president to be known soon

    Express News Service

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the Congress presidential elections on Monday, Shashi Tharoor updated his cover photo on his Facebook page with a picture of him waving to the crowd with the caption, “Member of Parliament, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala”. Tharoor who had put on a formidable fight against Mallikarjun Kharge had flown back to New Delhi on Monday evening. In fact, he even found time to release a book by author A Khyrunnisa amid his hectic schedule.Ever since Tharoor filed his nomination papers on September 30, he had been travelling the length and the breadth of the country seeking the support of all the Pradesh Congress Committee office bearers. Even though Tharoor’s MP office has been functioning normally in Thiruvananthapuram, he was hardly there for a couple of days. Now he is back in his MP role as is evident from his Facebook page. That may be why he found time to release one of his favourite writer’s books before dashing off to catch the last flight to New Delhi on Monday evening.Even when a cross-section of the State Congress leaders wanted to see Tharoor withdraw his nomination, they knew that he, being a man of ‘principled stand’ will not change his stand. Oommen Chandy who shares an excellent camaraderie with Tharoor was a worried lot after many of his loyalists showed allegiance to Tharoor when nomination papers were signed.It was Oommen Chandy’s trusted loyalist Thampanoor Ravi who first signed the nomination paper and also voted first in favour of Tharoor on Monday. Two senior Congress MPs confirmed to TNIE that Oommen Chandy had personally spoken to leaders like KC Abu and KM Oommer from Kozhikode to change their stand. Among the 13 leaders from the State who had proposed Tharoor in his five sets of nomination papers, these two leaders had also signed.”They have been upset with the leadership for repeatedly being sidelined despite sweating hard for the party for decades. So they were keen to shift sides and with the support of Kozhikode MP MK Raghavan, they decided to endorse Tharoor. Oommen Chandy and few other leaders spoke to them, but we do not know whether they have abided”, echoed two senior Congress MPs.If that’s the case, the vote share from Tharoor’s home state will come down. The fan following of Tharoor in all the states he went for campaigning resembled an election campaign towards the run up to the Lok Sabha election. He is aware that most of them were members of All India Professional Congress Committees, and majority of them do not have voting right in the presidential election.Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden who had endorsed Tharoor told The New Indian Express that his wings should not be clipped once the poll outcome is known on Wednesday. “Tharoor should stay in the Congress party and fight. He is always a resourceful person whose true potential has never been utilized. The major problem that Tharoor is facing is that he is in the Opposition where there are limitations to use his real prowess”, said Hibi Eden.

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the Congress presidential elections on Monday, Shashi Tharoor updated his cover photo on his Facebook page with a picture of him waving to the crowd with the caption, “Member of Parliament, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala”. Tharoor who had put on a formidable fight against Mallikarjun Kharge had flown back to New Delhi on Monday evening. In fact, he even found time to release a book by author A Khyrunnisa amid his hectic schedule.
    Ever since Tharoor filed his nomination papers on September 30, he had been travelling the length and the breadth of the country seeking the support of all the Pradesh Congress Committee office bearers. Even though Tharoor’s MP office has been functioning normally in Thiruvananthapuram, he was hardly there for a couple of days. Now he is back in his MP role as is evident from his Facebook page. That may be why he found time to release one of his favourite writer’s books before dashing off to catch the last flight to New Delhi on Monday evening.
    Even when a cross-section of the State Congress leaders wanted to see Tharoor withdraw his nomination, they knew that he, being a man of ‘principled stand’ will not change his stand. Oommen Chandy who shares an excellent camaraderie with Tharoor was a worried lot after many of his loyalists showed allegiance to Tharoor when nomination papers were signed.
    It was Oommen Chandy’s trusted loyalist Thampanoor Ravi who first signed the nomination paper and also voted first in favour of Tharoor on Monday. Two senior Congress MPs confirmed to TNIE that Oommen Chandy had personally spoken to leaders like KC Abu and KM Oommer from Kozhikode to change their stand. Among the 13 leaders from the State who had proposed Tharoor in his five sets of nomination papers, these two leaders had also signed.
    “They have been upset with the leadership for repeatedly being sidelined despite sweating hard for the party for decades. So they were keen to shift sides and with the support of Kozhikode MP MK Raghavan, they decided to endorse Tharoor. Oommen Chandy and few other leaders spoke to them, but we do not know whether they have abided”, echoed two senior Congress MPs.
    If that’s the case, the vote share from Tharoor’s home state will come down. The fan following of Tharoor in all the states he went for campaigning resembled an election campaign towards the run up to the Lok Sabha election. He is aware that most of them were members of All India Professional Congress Committees, and majority of them do not have voting right in the presidential election.
    Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden who had endorsed Tharoor told The New Indian Express that his wings should not be clipped once the poll outcome is known on Wednesday. “Tharoor should stay in the Congress party and fight. He is always a resourceful person whose true potential has never been utilized. The major problem that Tharoor is facing is that he is in the Opposition where there are limitations to use his real prowess”, said Hibi Eden.

  • Congress presidential polls: About 96 per cent turnout; no adverse incident reported, says Mistry 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: About 9,500 of the total around 9,900 electors cast their votes in the Congress presidential polls, the party’s central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said on Monday.

    The overall voter turnout was about 96 per cent and in small states, it was nearly 100 per cent, he said at a press conference after voting ended in the Mallikarjun Kharge versus Shashi Tharoor contest.

    By and large the voter turnout in all places was over 90 per cent, Mistry said adding that this was provisional data.

    “The most satisfactory thing for us was that in all states where polling booths were set up, no adverse incident was reported. This is a big achievement…polls were held in an open process in a peaceful manner,” Mistry said.

    “Congress party has shown what internal democracy is and other parties that want to take a lesson from it, can do so,” he said.

    Mistry said no one should have any apprehensions as it is a secret ballot and nobody will get to know who voted for whom.

    ALSO READ | Congress polls HIGHLIGHTS: Voting ends in ‘loyalist’ Kharge vs ‘change seeker’ Tharoor contest

    He said the ballot boxes will arrive by Tuesday evening and before the counting begins, they will be mixed thoroughly.

    Three ballot boxes, two of Delhi state and one of AICC headquarter, have been received, he said.

    Mistry said 87 delegates cast their vote at the party headquarter here.

    Asked about elections to the Congress Working Committee, Mistry said it depends on the next president and the plenary session of the Congress.

    “When the plenary meets, if it decides to have an election of the CWC, there will be elections.  But the president has to take a call on the CWC as well as the CEC (central election committee) but I am not in a position to comment on it today,” he said.

    Kharge is considered the favourite for his perceived proximity to the Gandhis and backing by senior leaders, even as Tharoor has pitched himself as the candidate of change.

    NEW DELHI: About 9,500 of the total around 9,900 electors cast their votes in the Congress presidential polls, the party’s central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said on Monday.

    The overall voter turnout was about 96 per cent and in small states, it was nearly 100 per cent, he said at a press conference after voting ended in the Mallikarjun Kharge versus Shashi Tharoor contest.

    By and large the voter turnout in all places was over 90 per cent, Mistry said adding that this was provisional data.

    “The most satisfactory thing for us was that in all states where polling booths were set up, no adverse incident was reported. This is a big achievement…polls were held in an open process in a peaceful manner,” Mistry said.

    “Congress party has shown what internal democracy is and other parties that want to take a lesson from it, can do so,” he said.

    Mistry said no one should have any apprehensions as it is a secret ballot and nobody will get to know who voted for whom.

    ALSO READ | Congress polls HIGHLIGHTS: Voting ends in ‘loyalist’ Kharge vs ‘change seeker’ Tharoor contest

    He said the ballot boxes will arrive by Tuesday evening and before the counting begins, they will be mixed thoroughly.

    Three ballot boxes, two of Delhi state and one of AICC headquarter, have been received, he said.

    Mistry said 87 delegates cast their vote at the party headquarter here.

    Asked about elections to the Congress Working Committee, Mistry said it depends on the next president and the plenary session of the Congress.

    “When the plenary meets, if it decides to have an election of the CWC, there will be elections.  But the president has to take a call on the CWC as well as the CEC (central election committee) but I am not in a position to comment on it today,” he said.

    Kharge is considered the favourite for his perceived proximity to the Gandhis and backing by senior leaders, even as Tharoor has pitched himself as the candidate of change.

  • New Cong president will take forward leadership’s vision: Salman Khurshid

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Monday said that the new party president would take forward and implement the vision of the party leadership.

    “Party leadership will remain. The new party president will decide how to take forward and implement the leadership’s vision,” Congress leader Salman Khurshid said after casting his vote at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office in the national capital.

    He also lauded Shashi Tharoor’s attempt to contest the internal elections.

    Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has directly contested against veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge and earlier in the day said that the revival of the party has begun whatever the outcome and that the fate of the Congress lies in the hands of the party workers.

    He further said that he was confident of winning the election but acknowledged the odds against him.

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

    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, after voting for his desired new chief, said that Congress was the only political party to hold elections for its president.

    Speaking to the ANI further, Salman Khurshid said that one should not compare the value of human life and political scores.

    Reacting to National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah’s allegation that the incidents of targeted killings by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir are not going to stop “until justice is served”, Khurshid said that it is crucial to hold a healthy conversation with the ones who have been there experiencing the ground reality.

    “This will never stop until justice is served. Earlier they said such killings happening due to Article 370, but it’s abrogated now, so why such killings haven’t stopped? Who’s responsible?” National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah said earlier in the day, reacting to the recent killing of a Kashmiri Pandit in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. 

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Monday said that the new party president would take forward and implement the vision of the party leadership.

    “Party leadership will remain. The new party president will decide how to take forward and implement the leadership’s vision,” Congress leader Salman Khurshid said after casting his vote at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office in the national capital.

    He also lauded Shashi Tharoor’s attempt to contest the internal elections.

    Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has directly contested against veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge and earlier in the day said that the revival of the party has begun whatever the outcome and that the fate of the Congress lies in the hands of the party workers.

    He further said that he was confident of winning the election but acknowledged the odds against him.

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

    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, after voting for his desired new chief, said that Congress was the only political party to hold elections for its president.

    Speaking to the ANI further, Salman Khurshid said that one should not compare the value of human life and political scores.

    Reacting to National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah’s allegation that the incidents of targeted killings by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir are not going to stop “until justice is served”, Khurshid said that it is crucial to hold a healthy conversation with the ones who have been there experiencing the ground reality.

    “This will never stop until justice is served. Earlier they said such killings happening due to Article 370, but it’s abrogated now, so why such killings haven’t stopped? Who’s responsible?” National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah said earlier in the day, reacting to the recent killing of a Kashmiri Pandit in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. 

  • ‘Loyalist’ Kharge? ‘Change seeker’ Tharoor? Congress polls underway to choose non-Gandhi president

    By Express News Service

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The voting for the Congress presidential election has started at the State party headquarters at Indira Bhavan. State Congress working president Kodikunnil Suresh opined that Shashi Tharoor MP should have withdrawn from the presidential poll.

    Indira Bhavan which is the cynosure of all eyes saw a large posse of KPCC office bearers and also those who don’t have voting rights converge at the party headquarters much before the start of the election. The voting began at 9 am. A large queue was formed in front of Indira Bhavan where leaders from across the State came to cast their votes.

    ALSO READ | Gandhi’s Kharge? Independent Tharoor? Congress to elect party chief after two decades 

    The polling agents for Mallikarjun Kharge are MP V K Sreekandan and MP Dean Kuriakose and former  MLAs V S Sivakumar and A A Shukkoor. The polling agents for Tharoor are Mannamoola Rajan, R Sivakumar, Sanal Kumar and Vijayachandran. Prior to the start of the election, Kodikunnil said once the elections are over the party will be united.

    “But Tharoor should have withdrawn from the race. There is no scope of rivalry once the elections are over”, said Kodikunnil.

    ALSO READ: Sixth time in its 137-year-history Congress all set to have internal elections for its president

    P T Ajayamohan, Veliyankode block in Ponnani Assembly constituency in Malappuram and son of former legislator P T Mohanakrishnan was the first KPCC office bearer to cast his vote. State Congress general secretary K A Thulasi whose leg was in a cast was wheeled inside a wheelchair and was accompanied by her husband, V K Sreekandan, Palakkad MP.

    Her leg was fractured during the course of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Kerala Pradesh Returning Officer G Parameswara and Assistant Returning Officer, V K Arivazhagan told reporters that anyone who puts other than a tick mark will be considered as an invalid vote.

    “The voting would conclude at 4 pm. There are two polling booths. The two sealed ballot boxes would be taken to New Delhi on Monday itself”, said Parameswara.

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The voting for the Congress presidential election has started at the State party headquarters at Indira Bhavan. State Congress working president Kodikunnil Suresh opined that Shashi Tharoor MP should have withdrawn from the presidential poll.

    Indira Bhavan which is the cynosure of all eyes saw a large posse of KPCC office bearers and also those who don’t have voting rights converge at the party headquarters much before the start of the election. The voting began at 9 am. A large queue was formed in front of Indira Bhavan where leaders from across the State came to cast their votes.

    ALSO READ | Gandhi’s Kharge? Independent Tharoor? Congress to elect party chief after two decades 

    The polling agents for Mallikarjun Kharge are MP V K Sreekandan and MP Dean Kuriakose and former  MLAs V S Sivakumar and A A Shukkoor. The polling agents for Tharoor are Mannamoola Rajan, R Sivakumar, Sanal Kumar and Vijayachandran. Prior to the start of the election, Kodikunnil said once the elections are over the party will be united.

    “But Tharoor should have withdrawn from the race. There is no scope of rivalry once the elections are over”, said Kodikunnil.

    ALSO READ: Sixth time in its 137-year-history Congress all set to have internal elections for its president

    P T Ajayamohan, Veliyankode block in Ponnani Assembly constituency in Malappuram and son of former legislator P T Mohanakrishnan was the first KPCC office bearer to cast his vote. State Congress general secretary K A Thulasi whose leg was in a cast was wheeled inside a wheelchair and was accompanied by her husband, V K Sreekandan, Palakkad MP.

    Her leg was fractured during the course of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Kerala Pradesh Returning Officer G Parameswara and Assistant Returning Officer, V K Arivazhagan told reporters that anyone who puts other than a tick mark will be considered as an invalid vote.

    “The voting would conclude at 4 pm. There are two polling booths. The two sealed ballot boxes would be taken to New Delhi on Monday itself”, said Parameswara.

  • Kharge vs Tharoor on Monday as Congress set for non-Gandhi prez after 24 years 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor will face-off in an electoral contest on Monday for the post of AICC chief, as the party gets set to have a non-Gandhi president in over 24 years.

    Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral college to pick the party chief in a secret ballot.

    Voting would also take place at the AICC headquarters here and at over 65 polling booths across the country in an electoral contest which is taking place for the sixth time in the party’s 137-year history.

    While party chief Sonia Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are expected to vote at the AICC headquarters here, Rahul Gandhi will be voting at the Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite in Karnataka’s Sanganakallu in Ballari along with around 40 other Bharat Yatris who are PCC delegates.

    Kharge is considered the firm favourite for his perceived proximity to the Gandhis and backing by senior leaders, even as Tharoor has pitched himself as the candidate of change.

    During the campaign, even though Tharoor has raised issues of uneven playing field, both candidates and the party have maintained that the Gandhis are neutral and that there is no “official candidate”.

    ALSO READ | Sixth time in its 137-year-history Congress all set to have internal elections for its president

    Asked about the significance of the polls, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh told PTI that he has always believed in the Congress model of evolving a consensus for such positions.

    The most famous practitioner of this approach in the post-Nehruvian era was K Kamaraj, he noted.

    “As we approach E-Day tomorrow this belief has become even stronger. The reasons for this are pretty obvious,” Ramesh said without elaborating.

    “I am not at all convinced that organisational elections actually strengthen the organisation in any way. They may serve individual purposes but their value in building a collective spirit is doubtful,” he said.

    Even so, the very fact that elections are taking place is of some significance, he added.

    “But I consider them of less institutional importance than the historic Bharat Jodo Yatra which is a transformational initiative for the Congress and for Indian politics as well,” Ramesh said.

    Though the campaign has been largely about a roadmap for the party which the two candidates have elaborated upon during their meetings with PCC delegates at various headquarters of the party in states, it has also seen complaints and claims of an uneven playing field by the Tharoor camp.

    The contrast in the campaigns has been stark, while Kharge’s campaign has seen several senior leaders, PCC chiefs and top leaders receiving him at the state headquarters visited by him, Tharoor has mostly been welcomed by young PCC delegates with PCC chiefs mostly absent from his events.

    Tharoor has underlined during his campaign that he is the candidate of change while Kharge of status quo.

    He has also claimed that youngsters and people in lower levels of the party are supporting him, while seniors are backing his rival.

    ALSO READ | Congress president poll: Most PCC chiefs backing Kharge, says Tharoor

    Kharge, on his part, has highlighted his experience, coming up the organizational ranks over decades and his ability to take everyone along.

    Both the leaders have emphasised that the Gandhis hold a special place in the party with Kharge saying that he would seek their “guidance” and “suggestions”, and Tharoor asserting that no Congress president can function keeping a distance from the Gandhi family as their DNA runs in the party’s blood.

    The last electoral contest for the top post of the party took place in 2000 when Jitendra Prasada had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Sonia Gandhi.

    Also, with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra deciding not to be in the running for the party president’s post, a non-Gandhi would be at the helm after over 24 years.

    Congress’ central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said on Wednesday that the Congress presidential polls will be held by a secret ballot and no one will get to know who voted for whom.

    He had asserted that a level-playing field had been ensured for both candidates.

    Mistry had also demonstrated to reporters the ballot boxes, ballot paper and how the votes would be cast.

    He had said the sealed boxes would be transported to Delhi, kept in a strong room at the AICC headquarters and opened in Delhi.

    The ballot papers would be mixed before counting starts.

    Kharge and Tharoor not only possess contrasting demeanours but have had an equally disparate political journey.

    On the one side, there is 80-year-old Kharge, a grassroots politician and a hardcore loyalist of the Gandhi family and on the other is 66-year-old Tharoor – articulate, erudite and suave – who is known for speaking his mind and joined the Congress in 2009 after a long stint at the United Nations.

    The contrast is not limited to their demeanour and thinking but also their backgrounds — while Kharge was born in a poor family at Varavatti in Bidar district, did his schooling and BA as well as Law in Gulbarga, Tharoor was born in London and has a phenomenal education background.

    Tharoor, who hails from the Nair community of Kerala, has studied at premier institutions in India and the US, including St Stephen’s College in Delhi and Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts.

    Tharoor completed his Ph.D.in 1978 from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

    A leader with more than 50 years of experience in politics, Kharge, who was elected MLA for nine times in a row and has been pitched as a Dalit leader by his party colleagues, has seen a steady rise in his career graph from humble beginnings as a union leader in his home-district of Gulbarga, now Kalaburagi.

    The Congress presidential poll will take place on October 17 and the results will be out on October 19.

    NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor will face-off in an electoral contest on Monday for the post of AICC chief, as the party gets set to have a non-Gandhi president in over 24 years.

    Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral college to pick the party chief in a secret ballot.

    Voting would also take place at the AICC headquarters here and at over 65 polling booths across the country in an electoral contest which is taking place for the sixth time in the party’s 137-year history.

    While party chief Sonia Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are expected to vote at the AICC headquarters here, Rahul Gandhi will be voting at the Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite in Karnataka’s Sanganakallu in Ballari along with around 40 other Bharat Yatris who are PCC delegates.

    Kharge is considered the firm favourite for his perceived proximity to the Gandhis and backing by senior leaders, even as Tharoor has pitched himself as the candidate of change.

    During the campaign, even though Tharoor has raised issues of uneven playing field, both candidates and the party have maintained that the Gandhis are neutral and that there is no “official candidate”.

    ALSO READ | Sixth time in its 137-year-history Congress all set to have internal elections for its president

    Asked about the significance of the polls, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh told PTI that he has always believed in the Congress model of evolving a consensus for such positions.

    The most famous practitioner of this approach in the post-Nehruvian era was K Kamaraj, he noted.

    “As we approach E-Day tomorrow this belief has become even stronger. The reasons for this are pretty obvious,” Ramesh said without elaborating.

    “I am not at all convinced that organisational elections actually strengthen the organisation in any way. They may serve individual purposes but their value in building a collective spirit is doubtful,” he said.

    Even so, the very fact that elections are taking place is of some significance, he added.

    “But I consider them of less institutional importance than the historic Bharat Jodo Yatra which is a transformational initiative for the Congress and for Indian politics as well,” Ramesh said.

    Though the campaign has been largely about a roadmap for the party which the two candidates have elaborated upon during their meetings with PCC delegates at various headquarters of the party in states, it has also seen complaints and claims of an uneven playing field by the Tharoor camp.

    The contrast in the campaigns has been stark, while Kharge’s campaign has seen several senior leaders, PCC chiefs and top leaders receiving him at the state headquarters visited by him, Tharoor has mostly been welcomed by young PCC delegates with PCC chiefs mostly absent from his events.

    Tharoor has underlined during his campaign that he is the candidate of change while Kharge of status quo.

    He has also claimed that youngsters and people in lower levels of the party are supporting him, while seniors are backing his rival.

    ALSO READ | Congress president poll: Most PCC chiefs backing Kharge, says Tharoor

    Kharge, on his part, has highlighted his experience, coming up the organizational ranks over decades and his ability to take everyone along.

    Both the leaders have emphasised that the Gandhis hold a special place in the party with Kharge saying that he would seek their “guidance” and “suggestions”, and Tharoor asserting that no Congress president can function keeping a distance from the Gandhi family as their DNA runs in the party’s blood.

    The last electoral contest for the top post of the party took place in 2000 when Jitendra Prasada had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Sonia Gandhi.

    Also, with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra deciding not to be in the running for the party president’s post, a non-Gandhi would be at the helm after over 24 years.

    Congress’ central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said on Wednesday that the Congress presidential polls will be held by a secret ballot and no one will get to know who voted for whom.

    He had asserted that a level-playing field had been ensured for both candidates.

    Mistry had also demonstrated to reporters the ballot boxes, ballot paper and how the votes would be cast.

    He had said the sealed boxes would be transported to Delhi, kept in a strong room at the AICC headquarters and opened in Delhi.

    The ballot papers would be mixed before counting starts.

    Kharge and Tharoor not only possess contrasting demeanours but have had an equally disparate political journey.

    On the one side, there is 80-year-old Kharge, a grassroots politician and a hardcore loyalist of the Gandhi family and on the other is 66-year-old Tharoor – articulate, erudite and suave – who is known for speaking his mind and joined the Congress in 2009 after a long stint at the United Nations.

    The contrast is not limited to their demeanour and thinking but also their backgrounds — while Kharge was born in a poor family at Varavatti in Bidar district, did his schooling and BA as well as Law in Gulbarga, Tharoor was born in London and has a phenomenal education background.

    Tharoor, who hails from the Nair community of Kerala, has studied at premier institutions in India and the US, including St Stephen’s College in Delhi and Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts.

    Tharoor completed his Ph.D.in 1978 from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

    A leader with more than 50 years of experience in politics, Kharge, who was elected MLA for nine times in a row and has been pitched as a Dalit leader by his party colleagues, has seen a steady rise in his career graph from humble beginnings as a union leader in his home-district of Gulbarga, now Kalaburagi.

    The Congress presidential poll will take place on October 17 and the results will be out on October 19.

  • Will have no shame in taking advice of Gandhi family: Mallikarjun Kharge

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said he would have no shame in taking the advice and support of the Gandhi family in running the party affairs, in case he becomes its President, as they have struggled and put their strength for its growth.

    The veteran leader said that he is the “delegates’ candidate” in this polls to the party’s highest post, scheduled for October 17.

    “They say such things as there is nothing else to tell. BJP indulges in such a campaign and others follow it. Sonia Gandhi has worked for 20 years in the organisation. Rahul Gandhi was also president. They have struggled for the party and put their strength for its growth,” Kharge said responding to a question about talk that he would be the remote control of the Gandhi family on becoming the AICC President.

    Speaking to reporters here, he highlighted that the Nehru-Gandhi family has contributed immensely and sacrificed for this country from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi.

    “Just because we (Congress) lost a few elections, saying such a thing (against Gandhis) is not right. They have done good for this country, their advice will benefit the party, so I will definitely seek their advice and support. There is no shame in it. If something benefits from your (media) advice, I will take it as well. They have worked for this party and taking their advice is my duty,” Kharge said.

    “Further Sonia and Rahul Gandhi know every nook and corner of the country, who is where and who can do what for the party. What has to be done to have unity in the party, I need to learn and I will do it,” he added.

    The Member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka today met some state Congress leaders and addressed the media, as part of his campaign trail here.

    He is pitted against Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in the grand old party’s presidential polls for which results will be declared on October 19.

    READ HERE | Sixth time in its 137-year-history Congress all set to have internal elections for its president

    Khage however, did not want to make any direct comments on his opponent in the poll – Tharoor – or his campaign, and merely said that, everyone has the right to speak about their merit, while seeking support, like he has been highlighting about his connection with the party’s grassroots level.

    “I don’t want to get into any controversy, he (Tharoor) is saying his thoughts, I don’t want to debate on his thoughts. I’m sharing my thoughts. It is our organisation or a family matter. He has the right to say what he wants to, similarly I too have. It is an internal friendly fight,” he said, to a question about his message for Tharoor.

    Rebutting talk that it will be a rigged election, with senior leaders and delegates who will vote, openly supporting him, Kharge said, “I’m contacting election delegates, my campaign managers are organising. I’m a candidate of delegates, senior leaders and delegates have sponsored me.”

    He said after the Gandhi family took a stand that none of them would contest for the Congress President post, senior leaders, leaders and delegates from various states, asked him to contest, considering his long service to the party organisation.

    Asked about the Congress in election-bound Karnataka and about the impact of his election as party president, Kharge said, “leaders in the state are fighting with a cause and working hard. I believe in collective leadership, collective consultancy. The Congress in Karnataka is united and will form a government in the state (after the 2023 Assembly polls).”

    BENGALURU: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said he would have no shame in taking the advice and support of the Gandhi family in running the party affairs, in case he becomes its President, as they have struggled and put their strength for its growth.

    The veteran leader said that he is the “delegates’ candidate” in this polls to the party’s highest post, scheduled for October 17.

    “They say such things as there is nothing else to tell. BJP indulges in such a campaign and others follow it. Sonia Gandhi has worked for 20 years in the organisation. Rahul Gandhi was also president. They have struggled for the party and put their strength for its growth,” Kharge said responding to a question about talk that he would be the remote control of the Gandhi family on becoming the AICC President.

    Speaking to reporters here, he highlighted that the Nehru-Gandhi family has contributed immensely and sacrificed for this country from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi.

    “Just because we (Congress) lost a few elections, saying such a thing (against Gandhis) is not right. They have done good for this country, their advice will benefit the party, so I will definitely seek their advice and support. There is no shame in it. If something benefits from your (media) advice, I will take it as well. They have worked for this party and taking their advice is my duty,” Kharge said.

    “Further Sonia and Rahul Gandhi know every nook and corner of the country, who is where and who can do what for the party. What has to be done to have unity in the party, I need to learn and I will do it,” he added.

    The Member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka today met some state Congress leaders and addressed the media, as part of his campaign trail here.

    He is pitted against Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in the grand old party’s presidential polls for which results will be declared on October 19.

    READ HERE | Sixth time in its 137-year-history Congress all set to have internal elections for its president

    Khage however, did not want to make any direct comments on his opponent in the poll – Tharoor – or his campaign, and merely said that, everyone has the right to speak about their merit, while seeking support, like he has been highlighting about his connection with the party’s grassroots level.

    “I don’t want to get into any controversy, he (Tharoor) is saying his thoughts, I don’t want to debate on his thoughts. I’m sharing my thoughts. It is our organisation or a family matter. He has the right to say what he wants to, similarly I too have. It is an internal friendly fight,” he said, to a question about his message for Tharoor.

    Rebutting talk that it will be a rigged election, with senior leaders and delegates who will vote, openly supporting him, Kharge said, “I’m contacting election delegates, my campaign managers are organising. I’m a candidate of delegates, senior leaders and delegates have sponsored me.”

    He said after the Gandhi family took a stand that none of them would contest for the Congress President post, senior leaders, leaders and delegates from various states, asked him to contest, considering his long service to the party organisation.

    Asked about the Congress in election-bound Karnataka and about the impact of his election as party president, Kharge said, “leaders in the state are fighting with a cause and working hard. I believe in collective leadership, collective consultancy. The Congress in Karnataka is united and will form a government in the state (after the 2023 Assembly polls).”

  • Will revive CWC elections, parliamentary board if I’m Congress president: Shashi Tharoor

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday asserted that if he becomes the AICC chief, he would fully implement the party’s existing constitution which requires CWC elections and revival of the parliamentary board that has been dormant for a quarter-century.

    In an interview with PTI, Tharoor also said the Congress must decentralise authority and truly empower the grassroots office-bearers of the party.

    The Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram said he would fully implement the Udaipur Declaration which was unanimously agreed at the party’s Chintan Shivir earlier this year.

    Asked about his plans for the party if he wins the electoral contest against Mallikarjun Kharge for the top post, the former Union minister said, “I think an important first step would be to call for elections to the Working Committee to spread our inner-party democracy even further.”

    “I am going to implement fully the existing Constitution, which requires CWC elections and the revival of the parliamentary board that has been dormant for a quarter-century, and the Udaipur Declaration which was unanimously agreed,” Tharoor said.

    The holding of the Congress Working Committee elections and the revival of the parliamentary board were among the key demands of the group of 23 leaders, including Tharoor, who wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking large-scale organisational reforms.

    At the Shivir, the Congress had adopted the Udaipur Declaration which included wide-ranging organisational reforms to make the party battle-ready for the next round of assembly and Lok Sabha polls, including wider representation to those under 50 years of age and enforcing ‘one person, one post’ and ‘one family, one ticket’ rules with riders.

    Tharoor said that as he has pointed out in his manifesto that Congress must empower the party in the states by giving real authority to the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents, block, mandal, and booth presidents.

    “We must decentralise authority and truly empower the grassroots office-bearers of the party. Our PCC delegates, for instance, have literally had no role for the last 22 years but to vote in the coming election on October 17th!” the 66-year-old leader said.

    “I want their elected status to be honoured by ensuring PCC delegates a place on the platform when any senior leader comes visiting, involve them in the consultations that must take place before candidates are selected for elections, and so on,” he said.

    Tharoor stressed that the Congress must provide a credible alternative to the BJP’s “centralisation of authority” in its party affairs and in the affairs of governance.

    “I have been a big fan of the 2014 UPA election slogan ‘Main nahin, hum’. Re-imagining the organisation, delegating powers to grassroots-level leaders and empowering our workers as stakeholders in our success, will not only free the new president from the onerous burdens of over-administration, but help recreate the strong state leadership that, in past eras, strengthened the Congress’ national appeal,” he said.

    Tharoor, who has run an energetic campaign across various states to seek the support of the PCC delegates for his Congress presidential bid, also said the response from ordinary party workers, especially young delegates, has been immensely encouraging.

    “Many have even volunteered to spread my message among their own circles and are supporting my campaign with a level of enthusiasm that is both inspiring and humbling,” he said.

    “I look forward to continuing to put my best foot forward and to work as hard as humanly possible in this campaign, which is the only way I can repay their faith and trust in my candidacy,” the senior Congress leader said.

    Tharoor has asserted that he is the candidate for reform and change in the way the party is run, only to make it fighting fit to tackle the BJP in 2024.

    Tharoor is pitted against Kharge, who is being seen as a favourite for the top party post because of his perceived proximity to the Gandhi family.

    However, Tharoor has reiterated time and again that the Gandhi family has made it clear that they are staying above the fray and are neutral.

    At a press conference during the Bharat Jodo Yatra last week, Rahul Gandhi had dismissed claims that the next Congress president would be “remote-controlled” by his family, saying both the contenders — Kharge and Tharoor — are people of stature and understanding and to make such a suggestion was insulting for them.

    The Congress presidential poll will take place on October 17 and the results will be out on October 19.

    NEW DELHI: Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday asserted that if he becomes the AICC chief, he would fully implement the party’s existing constitution which requires CWC elections and revival of the parliamentary board that has been dormant for a quarter-century.

    In an interview with PTI, Tharoor also said the Congress must decentralise authority and truly empower the grassroots office-bearers of the party.

    The Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram said he would fully implement the Udaipur Declaration which was unanimously agreed at the party’s Chintan Shivir earlier this year.

    Asked about his plans for the party if he wins the electoral contest against Mallikarjun Kharge for the top post, the former Union minister said, “I think an important first step would be to call for elections to the Working Committee to spread our inner-party democracy even further.”

    “I am going to implement fully the existing Constitution, which requires CWC elections and the revival of the parliamentary board that has been dormant for a quarter-century, and the Udaipur Declaration which was unanimously agreed,” Tharoor said.

    The holding of the Congress Working Committee elections and the revival of the parliamentary board were among the key demands of the group of 23 leaders, including Tharoor, who wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking large-scale organisational reforms.

    At the Shivir, the Congress had adopted the Udaipur Declaration which included wide-ranging organisational reforms to make the party battle-ready for the next round of assembly and Lok Sabha polls, including wider representation to those under 50 years of age and enforcing ‘one person, one post’ and ‘one family, one ticket’ rules with riders.

    Tharoor said that as he has pointed out in his manifesto that Congress must empower the party in the states by giving real authority to the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents, block, mandal, and booth presidents.

    “We must decentralise authority and truly empower the grassroots office-bearers of the party. Our PCC delegates, for instance, have literally had no role for the last 22 years but to vote in the coming election on October 17th!” the 66-year-old leader said.

    “I want their elected status to be honoured by ensuring PCC delegates a place on the platform when any senior leader comes visiting, involve them in the consultations that must take place before candidates are selected for elections, and so on,” he said.

    Tharoor stressed that the Congress must provide a credible alternative to the BJP’s “centralisation of authority” in its party affairs and in the affairs of governance.

    “I have been a big fan of the 2014 UPA election slogan ‘Main nahin, hum’. Re-imagining the organisation, delegating powers to grassroots-level leaders and empowering our workers as stakeholders in our success, will not only free the new president from the onerous burdens of over-administration, but help recreate the strong state leadership that, in past eras, strengthened the Congress’ national appeal,” he said.

    Tharoor, who has run an energetic campaign across various states to seek the support of the PCC delegates for his Congress presidential bid, also said the response from ordinary party workers, especially young delegates, has been immensely encouraging.

    “Many have even volunteered to spread my message among their own circles and are supporting my campaign with a level of enthusiasm that is both inspiring and humbling,” he said.

    “I look forward to continuing to put my best foot forward and to work as hard as humanly possible in this campaign, which is the only way I can repay their faith and trust in my candidacy,” the senior Congress leader said.

    Tharoor has asserted that he is the candidate for reform and change in the way the party is run, only to make it fighting fit to tackle the BJP in 2024.

    Tharoor is pitted against Kharge, who is being seen as a favourite for the top party post because of his perceived proximity to the Gandhi family.

    However, Tharoor has reiterated time and again that the Gandhi family has made it clear that they are staying above the fray and are neutral.

    At a press conference during the Bharat Jodo Yatra last week, Rahul Gandhi had dismissed claims that the next Congress president would be “remote-controlled” by his family, saying both the contenders — Kharge and Tharoor — are people of stature and understanding and to make such a suggestion was insulting for them.

    The Congress presidential poll will take place on October 17 and the results will be out on October 19.