No ideological differences with Kharge, says Tharoor
Congr ess leader said the choice for his voting colleagues for the party’s Oct .17 pr esident ial poll is only on how t o take on the ruling BJP most effectively
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday said the choice for his voting colleagues for the party’s Oct.17 presidential poll is only on how to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) most effectively.
In a tweet, he said all of them wish to take on the BJP rather than each other, echoing his rival candidate for the post, Mallikarjun Kharge.
“Let me make clear that I agree with @kharge ji that all of us in @incindia wish to take on the BJP rather than each other. There is no ideological difference between us. The choice for our voting colleagues Oct.17 is only on how to do it most effectively,” Tharoor tweeted.
The tweet came a day ater Kharge said all Congress leaders are united to fight the BJP and its ideological fountainhead Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and that he told Tharoor that it would be beter to have a consensus candidate.
Kharge said Tharoor insisted on a contest for the “sake of democracy.”
Kharge, who resigned as the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha to contest the election in line with the “one person, one post” principle, launched his Congress presidential poll campaign on Sunday. Leaders such as Bhupinder Hooda, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari, and Prithviraj Chavan, who were among the 23 leaders who wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking organisational reforms in the party, backed Kharge’s candidature by becoming his proposers for next month’s poll.
Kharge insisted there is no G23 camp now. “All leaders [of G23] want to work together to stay united and fight against BJP-RSS. This is the reason they are supporting me,” he said.
Kharge, 80, said he is contesting the election on the insistence of senior leaders as no member of the Gandhi family wanted to become the party chief.
He dismissed allegations that he is the Gandhis’ candidate and called Tharoor his younger brother.
“It is a family mater and we have to stay united today and tomorrow.”
Kharge said he has not entered the fray to oppose anyone but to strengthen the party. “Will always work to take forward the party’s principles and ideology,” he said.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot earlier bowed out of the race ater a rebellion by his supporters last week against the possible elevation of Sachin Pilot as his successor.
Talking exclusively to IANS, Tharoor said that the polls for the post of Congress president are being held ater five years. The last election was held in 2017, which Rahul Gandhi had won unanimously. The last contested election was held in 2000, when Sonia Gandhi defeated Jitendra Prasada by a huge margin.
The Gandhi family has decided that it will not endorse any candidate this time.
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi both are of the view that polls will strengthen the party, which is very good, Tharoor said.
The central election authority (CEA) of the Congress has issued guidelines to all the state presidents to extend courtesy to both Tharoor and Kharge who are contesting for the party presidential poll.
The guidelines says that Pradesh Returning Officer (PRO) will be the Polling Officer of their respective PCCS and shall be responsible for keeping order at the polling stations and to see that the election is fairly conducted.
“Shri Mallikarjun Kharge and Dr. Shashi Tharoor are contesting the election of Congress President in their personal capacity. Therefore, delegates are free to elect any one of them, as per their choice, through Ballot Paper.
“All the office-bearers are asked to resign first if they want to campaign. AICC General Secretaries/ In-charges, Secretaries/ Jt Secretaries, PCC Presidents, CLP Leaders, Heads of Frontal Org., Chiefs of Depts./cells and all official Spokesperson shall not campaign for or against contesting candidates.
“If they wish to support any candidate they must first resign from their organisational post, ater that they participate in the campaign process,” said the guidelines.
CEA chairman Madhusudan Mistry has said that all the state presidents shall extend courtesy to the candidates during their visits to the respective states and arrange meeting hall, chairs and other equipment for the public announcement to the candidate who wishes to hold the meeting of the delegates.